PAF FA-50 jet crashes in Bukidnon, killing both pilots

A Philippine Air Force (PAF) FA-50 fighter jet disappeared during a Tactical Night Operations exercise near Mactan, Cebu, shortly after midnight on Tuesday, March 4.

Communication with the aircraft was lost minutes before it reached its target area; search efforts located the wreckage in Mount Kalatungan in Talakag, Bukidnon, where the remains of both pilots were found inside the plane by morning.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident following the discovery of the aircraft and confirmation of the pilots' deaths.

The flight data recorder was retrieved on Thursday and will be brought to experts for analysis to determine if there were any issues with the aircraft or problems encountered by the pilots.

On Thursday morning, the bodies of the two pilots were extracted from the crash site in Mt. Kalatungan and transported to Cagayan de Oro City before being flown to Manila for proper honors and awards by the PAF.