Four Philippine Air Force pilots killed in training accident

MANILA – Two Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at an airbase south of the capital Manila, killing four pilots, the military said on Oct 24.The aviation accident on Oct 23 involved two SF-260 aircraft during a training flight at the Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, the Philippine Air Force said in a statementLocal media reported that the two planes collided in mid-air.The aircraft crashed within the grounds of the airbase but there were no other casualtiesThe Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer planes pending an investigation into the cause of the accident.In May, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in northern Philippines, while another SF-260 TP Marchetti crashed during a 2023 training flight, also killing two pilots.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