The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is looking into possible human error, weather conditions, and material failure as part of its investigation into the May 20 crash of a trainer aircraft in Benguet that killed two pilots.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said investigators are examining all possible angles in the crash of the SF-260 aircraft, which went down in Tuba town during a training flight.
“We are investigating all the aspects. We cannot just box in on the human factor. It may be also material, it may also be the weather,” Basco said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
Killed in the crash were 1Lt. Ruth Angelique Pasos and 2Lt. Cherky Embudo.
Basco declined to give a definite timeline for the completion of the investigation, but said the Air Force is working to finish the probe as soon as possible.
“As of the moment, we’re trying to do it speedily. We are conducting it as far as we can. That’s what I can say regarding the timeline,” she said.
Pending the results of the investigation, the PAF has grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer aircraft as a precautionary measure.
Basco said the grounding is not expected to stop pilot training operations entirely, as the Air Force has another fleet of trainer planes that can temporarily fill the gap.
She also defended the reliability of the SF-260 aircraft, saying the planes remain suitable for training despite their age because they undergo regular maintenance.
“They are still very reliable because they are well maintained. They are undergoing periodic maintenance. That’s how we take care of our assets,” Basco said.
“We will be waiting for the results of the investigation, but for now, these aircraft are well suited for this kind of training,” she added.
The crash has renewed attention on the safety of military training flights and the condition of aircraft used to prepare Air Force pilots. Basco said the investigation would determine what caused the fatal incident and guide the PAF’s next steps on the grounded fleet.