2 killed in Tarlac plane crash

An ultralight aircraft crashed on a rice field in Concepcion, Tarlac, resulting in the death of the two people onboard the plane.

The victims were a male pilot and a female passenger, both in their late teens.

They were residents of Mabalacat City and Macabebe in Pampanga.

According to a police report, the crashed aircraft was discovered at Barangay Panaliciscan at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 18, and was reported at 12:35 p.m.

The victims sustained serious physical injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Concepcion for medical treatment by responding Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (MDRRM) personnel but were declared dead on arrival.

Following the incident, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) grounded the entire operations of its air operator.

“The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), upon the instructions of Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, has grounded the entire operations of Woodland Airpark following the crash of an ultralight aircraft in Concepcion, Tarlac on Saturday, October 18, 2025, resulting in two fatalities,” it said in a statement.

CAAP Director General Retired Lieutenant General Raul Del Rosario added that Lopez also directed the immediate conduct of a safety and operations audit to check the airworthiness of the aircraft and the operator’s compliance with aviation safety standards.

Citing the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR), CAAP said ultralight aircraft fall under the category of Non-Certificated Type Aircraft and are authorized for recreational purposes only. Such aircraft are restricted to operating within their designated Flying Club Aerodrome, limited to a maximum altitude of 800 feet, and must be conducted strictly under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions.

“The Authority will take appropriate action against any individual or organization found to have violated existing aviation safety laws and operational guidelines,” CAAP said. —with reports from Jamil Santos/ VAL, GMA Integrated News