The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of SF-260 Marchetti trainer aircraft following a tragic mid-air collision that claimed the lives of four military pilots during a routine training exercise on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The incident occurred at 3:51 p.m. local time at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas province, south of the capital Manila. Two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided in mid-air during a training flight, with both planes coming down within the perimeter of the air base. All four pilots on board were killed, and no other casualties were reported on the ground.
“The Philippine Air Force mourns the loss of four pilots in an aviation accident involving two SF-260 aircraft during a training flight at Fernando Air Base,” said PAF spokesperson Colonel Alvin Jay Capinguian. An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the accident.
The tragedy is not the first for the PAF’s SF-260 fleet. In May 2026, two pilots were killed when another SF-260 crashed in a mountainous area of northern Philippines, and a similar fatal accident occurred during a 2023 training flight. The PAF said response teams were activated immediately following the October 23 collision, and the fleet will remain grounded pending the outcome of the investigation.
Source: Yahoo News UK – Four Philippine pilots killed after two training planes collide mid-air