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Fighter jet wreckage found; 2 pilots perished
By J.Lo
“Despite challenging conditions, including dense fog and difficult terrain, PAF helicopters successfully deployed Army Special Forces and civilian volunteers for ground searches,” Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo after hours of full-scale search and recovery operations for its missing FA-50 fighter jet, Philippine Air Force’s worst fears were realized.
In statement, PAF confirmed finding FA-50 wreckage on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon, and with it, bodies of its two pilots.
Names of the pilots have yet to be released pending proper notification of their relatives.
FA-50 went missing shortly after midnight on March 4 while on mission to support ground troops engaged in encounter with New People’s Army (NPA), PAF said.
PAF, alongside Philippine Army and local civilian volunteers, mounted search and recovery operations on the ground, while PAF air assets conducted aerial searches utilizing signals from aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter and locator beacons, Castillo said.
Philippine Army’s Malaybalay-based 493rd Brigade also dispatched helicopters and rescue groups to the area at noon of March 4, according to Lt. Col. Salvacion Evangelista, spokesperson for Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao.
Evangelista said FA-50 fighter jet was dispatched for airstrike against over 100 armed NPA rebels fighting state forces in the boundary of Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur about 1 in the morning on Tuesday.
Following the crash, Castillo said PAF has grounded its FA-50 fleet, comprising 11 other fighter jets, and will ensure thorough investigation into mishap.
“We are committed to providing all necessary support to the bereaved families during this difficult time,” she said.
The Philippine Army extended its condolences to the families of deceased pilots.
“We honor their heroism and sacrifice to attain peace in the country,” Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said in statement.
“Their bravery will continue to inspire Philippine Army in its relentless pursuit of maintaining stability, genuine peace and inclusive development throughout the nation,” he added.
Meanwhile, PAF said investigation will look into all possible reasons, including but not limited to material, aircraft, pilot error and weather.
Castillo noted that fallen pilots and all of PAF’s pilots are well-trained and very qualified to fly FA-50 fighter jet even at night.
She said specific details about wreckage cannot be released yet because some information remain sketchy at the moment.
Downed aircraft was among 12 brand new fighter jets acquired from South Korea in 2015 and delivered in 2017.
Almost four years ago, two tragedies involving military’s air assets, including brand new attack helicopter, claimed lives of 59 people.
In June 2021, one of the PAF’s Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Tarlac, leaving three pilots and three crew members dead. Results of the probe showed that aircraft “inadvertently entered thunderstorm and was compounded by spatial disorientation or vertigo by the pilot.”
Following month, C-130 military cargo plane crash-landed at Jolo Airport in Sulu, killing 50 soldiers and three civilians, an accident attributed to material, human and environmental factors.
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