Four pilots killed in Philippine Air Force trainer crash

Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed when two SF260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Friday, October 23, the Air Force said. Both planes went down within the base perimeter, and no other casualties were reported. The Air Force said it had temporarily grounded its SF260 fleet while it investigates the cause of the crash. Local reports described a midair collision, but the Air Force had not confirmed how the aircraft went down. The crash occurred at about 3:51 p.m., according to an Air Force account reported by local media. The service initially said it had activated emergency response measures and sent teams to secure the area and conduct preliminary assessments. It later confirmed the four deaths. The Air Force had not identified the pilots in its reported statement. It said it was coordinating with their families to provide assistance and asked the public to respect their privacy. The SF260 is a light aircraft used for pilot training. Grounding the fleet could affect training operations while investigators examine the accident, though the Air Force has not announced how long the aircraft...