PAF looking at all angles in fatal training flight mishap in Batangas

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is looking into all possible factors behind the fatal midair collision involving SF-260 training aircraft in Batangas that killed four pilots, its spokesperson said Tuesday.

At a press briefing, PAF spokesperson Colonel Alvin Jay Capinguian said investigators immediately secured the crash site, gathered debris, and began collecting data following the incident.

“Environmental, material, the state of the fuel, the oil, lahat, lahat tinitignan niya. We cannot look at one, any one angle kasi we don't know baka may nakakaligtaan tayo. So, everything is being looked at,” he said.

(Environmental, material, the state of the fuel, the oil, everything, everything is being looked at. We cannot look at one, any one angle because we don't know if we might miss something. So, everything is being looked at.)

Capinguian said the SF-260 aircraft involved were still within their airframe operating-hour limits and had several years of service remaining.

The SF-260 aircraft were procured brand-new from the manufacturer and arrived in the Philippines between 2010 and 2011, according to the PAF official.

The PAF has grounded its SF-260 aircraft while the investigation is ongoing.

Capinguian said the grounding would allow investigators to determine what went wrong before the military implements corrective measures.

He said the PAF would continue practicing formation flying, which he described as a core competency and required skill for military pilots despite its inherent risks.

The PAF uses two aircraft types at its flying school, the SF-260 basic trainer and the T-41 Delta, the military version of the Cessna 172, according to Capinguian.

On October 24, PAF confirmed the deaths of four pilots during the training flight over Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas.

In a statement, the PAF described the incident as an "aviation accident," which was logged at 3:51 p.m. on Friday, October 23.

Two single-propeller SF-260 aircraft were involved, with both of them going down within the base perimeter.

Video footage obtained by GMA News showed the two aircraft colliding in midair. — BAP, GMA News