SF-260TP light attack aircraft. (Photo from PAF 15th Strike Wing)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has grounded its three remaining SF260-TP light attack aircraft following the crash in Bataan that killed two pilots.
“All SF260 are now grounded while the investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances behind the incident and for the safety of our airmen,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Medel Aguilar said in a statement on Thursday.
The PAF said it has kept four SF-260TP in its inventory since the 1990s.
Two PAF pilots were killed on Wednesday morning after their SF-260TP aircraft crashed during a training flight in Pilar, Bataan.
READ: 2 PAF pilots dead in Bataan crash
Authorities said the plane was seen “descending fast” before it crashed into a rice field in Barangay Del Rosario at 10:42 a.m.
The SF-260TP was used in different combat missions, including during the siege of Marawi City in 2017 against Islamic State-linked armed groups.