"TOTALLY WRECKED" - PAF CONFIRMS DEATH OF 2 PILOTS GONE MISSING

(Photo courtesy of PAF Facebook)

PHILIPPINE AIRFORCE — On Wednesday, March 5, the Philippine Air Force said that search crews had recovered the wreckage of the missing FA-50 fighter jet Tuesday night. The two pilots were discovered dead at the crash site in the province of Bukidnon. 

The PAF said that after a comprehensive search and rescue effort involving more than 100 personnel, the wreckage was found on Wednesday near the Mt. Kalatungan Complex in Bukidnon. 

"With deep regret and profound sadness, the PAF announces the loss of the two pilots aboard," the PAF said in a statement.

Tail number 002's FA-50 fighter jet lost communication with the remainder of the flight "several minutes before they reached the target area of operations" around midnight on Tuesday. 

The aircraft was a component of a flight that supported ground forces conducting an operation in Bukidnon from the air. In a previous statement, the PAF claimed to be involved in "tactical night operations." 

Since the FA-50s were purchased between 2015 and 2017, this crash is the first known incident involving the Philippines' fleet. 
All 11 of the surviving FA-50 aircraft have been grounded since the incident, pending a comprehensive investigation. 

Col. Ma, PAF Spokesperson. "Conclusive say anything" regarding the accident's cause is impossible, according to Consuelo Castillo. 

"This will have to undergo thorough investigation. There could be various reasons why this happened," Castillo stated. "Hopefully, through the investigation, we will know the real reason why this happened." 

Signals from the aircraft's location beacons and emergency locator transmitter were used to locate the downed FA-50 fighter plane. 

"Totally wrecked," said Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante, head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Eastern Mindanao Command, during a press conference on Wednesday. 

According to Bergante, the bodies of the two pilots were discovered within the plane. 
The PAF claims that the weather and the steep terrain presented serious difficulties for the search and recovery effort. To find the crash site, more than 100 rescuers were sent in, including citizen volunteers and Philippine Army special forces units. 
Initial evaluation efforts were confounded by the "intermittent" information from the crash site, which was characterized by weak signals in the vicinity. 

"We can't provide specific statements about the condition of the wreckage or details about the pilots yet, as we're still gathering all the facts," Castillo explained during the press conference.

According to the PAF spokeswoman, the inquiry into the incident will be thorough and look at a number of variables, such as the wreckage of the aircraft, maintenance logs, pilot profiles, mission-related weather, and flight protocols.

Sources: Philstar

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