Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed on Friday, October 23, 2026, when two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided in midair during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas. The collision happened at around 3:51 p.m. local time, and both aircraft crashed inside the air base perimeter. No injuries on the ground were reported. The names of the pilots had not been made public in the reports, and the Air Force has not yet said what caused the collision.

The Philippine Air Force has temporarily grounded the rest of its SF-260 fleet as a precaution while investigators look into what went wrong. The SF-260 is a light trainer used for basic pilot instruction, and Fernando Air Base is a main center for that training. The loss follows another fatal SF-260 crash in May 2026, when two pilots died in Benguet after taking off from the same base, so many people are asking about the safety of the fleet. For now, the answers will have to come from the investigation, and the thoughts of many are with the families, colleagues and loved ones of the four fallen aviators.