Four pilots die in Philippine Air Force training aircraft collision

Four Philippine Air Force pilots died during a seven-aircraft flying exercise at Fernando Air Base on 23 October 2026, after two SF-260 trainers collided in mid-air. The five other aircraft landed safely, according to The Philippine Star. The air force has since stopped flying its SF-260 fleet while investigators establish what happened.

Numbers 032 and 037 were the aircraft involved, the newspaper reported. The collision occurred at about 3.51pm local time over the installation near Lipa City in Batangas province, south of Manila. No casualties were reported on the ground. Each Italian-designed, single-engine SF-260 has two seats; all four crew members aboard the two aircraft were killed.

What investigators know, and what they do not

Images reported by GMA News and accounts from witnesses suggest the aircraft came together at low altitude. Associated Press cited two Philippine officials confirming the incident and an eyewitness who described an aircraft falling near military accommodation. Neither the images nor those accounts establish the crews’ movements in the moments before impact.

Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has indicated that the investigation will examine the flight plan, maintenance and chain of command. Those are avenues of inquiry, not findings of fault. There is no established conclusion attributing the accident to a technical failure, the pilots or the organisation of the exercise.

The air force confirmed the death toll on Saturday 24 October, withheld the pilots’ names and requested privacy for their families. It also said arrangements were being made to support their relatives.

The SF-260 has featured in previous fatal Philippine military accidents. AP recalled a training crash in Benguet in May 2026 that killed two service personnel, and a crash in Bataan in 2023 in which another two crew members died. These incidents provide context about the fleet, not evidence of a common cause.

The precautionary grounding concerns SF-260 operations rather than the Philippine military’s aircraft as a whole. Officials have not stated how many trainers are affected or announced a date for restarting flights. The investigation must still establish how the two trainers came into conflict during the exercise.

Sources: The Philippine Star; GMA News; Associated Press.