2 SF-260 Planes Collide at Batangas Base, 4 Pilots Dead; Entire Fleet Grounded
In a catastrophic military aviation disaster south of the capital, two Philippine Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft collided mid-air during a routine training exercise at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, resulting in the tragic deaths of all four pilots on board. Military authorities confirmed on Saturday that the high-impact collision occurred on Friday as both aircraft were maneuvering during takeoff procedures within the perimeter of the airbase. Both Marchetti SF-260 light trainer aircraft were completely destroyed upon impact and plummeted directly into the base complex, with defense officials confirming that no ground personnel or civilian properties outside the installation suffered any harm or collateral damage.
Immediate Fleet-Wide Grounding as Air Force Probes Recurrent SF-260 Safety Record
Reacting swiftly to the deadly incident, the Philippine Air Force headquarters issued an emergency directive ordering the immediate temporary grounding of its entire operational inventory of SF-260 trainer aircraft. Defense spokespersons announced that the fleet will remain barred from flight operations until a dedicated board of inquiry concludes an exhaustive technical investigation to determine whether the mid-air crash was caused by catastrophic mechanical failure, severe atmospheric turbulence, or operational error during formation departure. The tragedy has reignited intense scrutiny surrounding the aging trainer fleet's safety record, marking the latest in a series of fatal mishaps involving the model. Earlier in May, an SF-260 aircraft went down in a rugged, mountainous corridor in the northern Philippines, claiming the lives of both pilots on board, while a similar SF-260 TP Marchetti turboprop crashed during an instructional sortie in 2023, also killing two aviators.
From Flight Academy to Frontline Combat: The SF-260’s Crucial Role in Marawi
Beyond its primary function as the foundational flight-training platform for successive generations of Philippine military aviators, the versatile SF-260 has historically performed critical operational combat duties for the armed forces. Configured for light ground-attack and counter-insurgency warfare, the aircraft played a decisive combat role in 2017 when urban insurgents and foreign terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) violently overran the southern Islamic city of Marawi. Throughout the protracted five-month urban siege, Philippine Air Force commanders deployed SF-260 strike variants to execute relentless precision bombing runs and close-air-support sorties against fortified militant sniper nests and logistics bunkers, highlighting the airframe's deep operational legacy as the military now pauses operations to unravel the cause of Friday's devastating crash.
