The Philippine Air Force (PAF) confirmed on Wednesday that one of its SIAI-Marchetti SF-260TP trainer/light attack turboprop aircraft went down in Bataan while its two pilots were conducting “recurrency training.” According to the PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, the plane crashed in Barangay Del Rosario in Pilar town at about 10:34 a.m. and that the investigation is ongoing. The SF-260TP aircraft was assigned to the 15th Strike Wing, based at the Danilo Atienza Air Base in Sangley Point, Cavite.
Photo: Pilar Municipal Police Station
Two pilots were killed in the crash, identified as Captain Ian Gerru Paulo and Captain John Paulo Aviso. The aircraft took off just before 10am local time from the PAF’s base at Sangley Point in Cavite province and crashed in Bataan at about 10:35am. “We lost track of the plane more than 30 minutes into the flight,” Colonel Castillo said.
In a later statement, the PAF said the ill-fated SF-260TP aircraft has a tail number 701 and took off from Major Danilo Atienza Air Base in Sangley Point, Cavite City. “At around 10:40 a.m. the aircraft was reportedly seen to be descending to a field in Sitio Tabon, Barangay Del Rosario, Pilar, Bataan where it eventually crashed. Two PAF pilots perished in the mishap while no civilian casualties were reported. Our aircraft accident investigation team are already at the site for a thorough investigation, while our SF-260TP fleet has been grounded,” it added.
For more information, hit the Source below