Four Philippine Air Force Pilots Killed as Two Trainer Planes Crash at Batangas Base; SF-260 Fleet Grounded

Two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a Friday training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas, killing four pilots, the Philippine Air Force said on Saturday via Reuters and AFP. Local media reported a midair collision; both planes came down inside the base with no other casualties, and the whole SF-260 fleet has been grounded pending an investigation.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk24 October 20264 min readRead in all 3 languages

MANILA — Two Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at an air base south of the capital Manila on Friday, killing four pilots, the military said on Saturday, according to Reuters.

Source: Reuters, Oct 24, 2026

The accident involved two SF-260 aircraft during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, the Philippine Air Force said in a statement. Local media reported the two planes collided in midair, Reuters said. The Air Force statement, reported by Philstar via Balita with Agence France-Presse, put the accident at 3:51 p.m. on Friday, October 23, at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas.

Source: Reuters; Philstar via Balita / AFP, Oct 24, 2026

Both aircraft went down within the grounds of the air base and there were no other casualties, the Air Force said. The Air Force did not identify the four pilots, saying it was coordinating with their families and asking the public to respect their privacy, Philstar reported.

Source: Philstar via Balita / AFP, Oct 24, 2026

"The PAF honors the service and sacrifice of our fallen aviators and is coordinating with their bereaved families to provide necessary assistance," the Air Force said, according to Philstar. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the accident, and all SF-260 aircraft have been temporarily grounded as a precautionary safety measure, the Air Force said.

Source: Philstar via Balita / AFP, Oct 24, 2026

The crash is the latest fatal accident involving the SF-260 in the Philippines. In May, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in northern Philippines, while another SF-260 crashed during a 2023 training flight, also killing two pilots, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters, Oct 24, 2026

The military used SF-260 aircraft during months of air strikes on southern Marawi City after militants loyal to Islamic State seized the area in 2017, Reuters said. No further details about what occurred during Friday's training flight were provided by the military.

Source: Reuters, Oct 24, 2026

4Pilots killed in the Fernando Air Base training accident, the Air Force said

2SF-260 trainer aircraft involved, both down inside the base perimeter

0Other casualties reported

Sources

Reuters — Four Philippine Air Force pilots killed in training accident, Oct 24, 2026 — https://ktwb.com/2026/10/24/four-philippine-air-force-pilots-killed-in-training-accident/

Philstar via Balita, with AFP — 4 pilots killed as 2 Air Force planes collide mid-air in Batangas, Oct 24, 2026 — https://balita.org/n/4-pilots-killed-as-2-air-force-planes/109660

Philippine Air Force statement via Astig — SF-260 fleet grounded, four pilots killed, Oct 24, 2026 — https://astig.ph/paf-sf-260-fleet-grounded-four-pilots-killed-batangas-2026/