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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PAF probes trainer aircraft crash in Benguet; 2 pilots dead

PAF probes trainer aircraft crash in Benguet; 2 pilots dead

Published May 20, 2026 03:27 pm

At A Glance

  • A Philippine Air Force (PAF) training aircraft crashed on Wednesday morning, May 20, in Tuba, Benguet during a routine navigation exercise.
  • The aircraft, an Aermacchi SF-260 trainer, went down around 10:30 a.m. in Barangay Cabuyao while flying as part of a formation that departed from Fernando Air Base and was headed toward Baguio City for a training navigation mission over northern Luzon.
  • Two pilots were on board and both were killed.
  • Military and local responders were quickly deployed to secure the crash site and begin initial recovery and response efforts.
  • The PAF has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident while continuing recovery operations and gathering verified details.
THE ill-fated PAF plane. (Photo courtesy of BM Oliver Paus)
THE ill-fated PAF plane. (Photo courtesy of BM Oliver Paus)
(UPDATED)
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) confirmed that one of its trainer aircraft crashed in Tuba, Benguet on Wednesday morning, May 20, prompting an immediate investigation to determine what went wrong in a routine navigation exercise over northern Luzon.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said an Aermacchi SF-260, a basic trainer widely used for pilot instruction, went down in Barangay Cabuyao around 10:30 a.m. with two pilots onboard.
“The Philippine Air Force confirms that one SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in Cabuyao, Tuba, Benguet at around 10:30 A.M. today during a navigation training flight,” Basco said.
"An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident," she added.
In an update to reporters as of 4:30 p.m., Basco said the two pilots have died.
The aircraft was part of a formation of training planes that left the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, a key pilot training facility for the Air Force, bound for Baguio City as part of a scheduled navigation exercise designed to test flight planning and situational awareness over mountainous terrain.
Military and local responders were quickly mobilized after the crash site was identified in the upland area of Tuba town. Coordination was made with nearby units to secure the area and assist in initial response efforts.
Flights between Lipa and Baguio are commonly used to simulate real-world navigation challenges, particularly over the Cordillera region where weather and terrain can change rapidly.
For now, the PAF said that attention remains on recovery operations and establishing the sequence of events that led to the crash during what was intended to be a standard training sortie.

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Philippine Air Force crash Aermacchi SF-260 Benguet
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