Four pilots killed as two Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft collide mid-air in Batangas

Four pilots were killed on Friday when two Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft collided in mid-air during a routine training flight in Batangas province. All four pilots aboard the two aircraft died on the spot. The accident has cast a pall of grief over military circles and the country.

According to official information from Air Force officials, the accident took place in the area of Fernando Air Base in Lipa city, Batangas. A routine pilot training session was under way when the two aircraft suddenly collided in the air. The impact was so severe that both aircraft were badly damaged in the air and crashed inside the air base.

Two SF-260 light trainer aircraft had taken off from Fernando Air Base on Friday as part of military training. Shortly after take-off, while practising manoeuvres in the air, the two aircraft suddenly came onto the same path and collided.

Immediately after the crash, there was chaos in the air base control room and an emergency response team was rushed to the spot. But the aircraft had hit the ground with such speed that both were completely shattered. Rescuers tried to remove the wreckage and pull out the airmen, but by then all four pilots had died. Officials said it was a relief that the aircraft came down inside the secure premises of the base, so other property there was not badly damaged and no one else was injured.

A mid-air collision between two Air Force trainer aircraft is considered a very serious and rare event. The Philippine military has therefore set up a special inquiry committee to establish the cause. The inquiry is examining whether the aircraft had a technical fault, whether poor weather reduced visibility, or whether there was a lapse in coordination and communication between the pilots during the flight.

Military experts say the real cause can emerge only after the black boxes of both aircraft and the air traffic control (ATC) voice recordings are examined. An Air Force spokesperson has said it would be premature to reach any firm conclusion until then.

Taking the accident seriously, the Philippine Air Force has taken an important decision. Flights of all SF-260 trainer aircraft in the fleet have been suspended for now, until the accident is fully investigated and safety is assured.

The SF-260 is a light trainer aircraft built in Italy and widely used around the world. It is used to teach new pilots to fly and to train them in difficult aerial manoeuvres. The Philippine Air Force has used it for several decades. But a string of accidents has now raised serious questions about the safety of these aircraft.

It has been an extremely bad year for the Philippine Air Force. In May this year, a similar accident occurred when an SF-260 trainer crashed on a hillside in the Tuba area of Benguet province in northern Philippines. Two experienced pilots died in that accident, and flights of these aircraft were suspended for a time then as well. Now, within a few months, two aircraft of the same model have crashed and four pilots have died, and members of the public are questioning the military's training system and the maintenance of its aircraft.