Four pilots were killed after two military training aircraft collided mid-air and crashed at an air base in the Philippines, the country’s air force said on Saturday.
The incident involved two SF-260 single-engine aircraft that went down within the boundaries of Fernando Air Base, south of Manila, on Friday afternoon.
Philippine Air Force spokesperson Colonel Alvin Capinguian said both aircraft crashed inside the base perimeter and no other casualties were reported.
An investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the accident. The air force has also temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 aircraft as a precautionary measure, Capinguian said.
The crash adds to a series of fatal accidents involving Philippine military aircraft in recent years.
In May, two military pilots died when another SF-260 aircraft crashed during a training mission in Benguet province in the northern Philippines.
Authorities are yet to disclose further details about the circumstances leading to Friday’s collision.
