PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE LOSES FOUR PILOTS IN TRAINER PLANE CRASHES

Four Philippine Air Force pilots died when two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight on Friday, the air force said. The aircraft came down inside Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas province, at 3.51pm local time on 23 October. Two Philippine officials said the planes collided in flight, while the air force said it had not established the cause. The air force reported no other casualties. It confirmed the four deaths on Saturday.

“An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident,” air force spokesperson Colonel Alvin Jay Capinguian said. The air force has not disclosed the pilots’ identities or said how many were aboard each aircraft. A witness said one aircraft came down near military personnel’s barracks at the base. The air force said it activated response teams immediately after the crash. Italian aircraft designer Stelio Frati designed the SF-260 light aircraft.

The Philippine Air Force has temporarily grounded its remaining SF-260 aircraft pending the investigation. The service uses the type for pilot training and other aviation duties. In May, an SF-260 crashed in a mountainous area of the northern Philippines, killing two pilots. The Philippine military is seeking to modernise its air force and navy amid financial constraints. It also faces long-running insurgencies and territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.