The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through its Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) confirmed Wednesday that the two pilots onboard the missing Philippine Air Force (PAF) FA-50 fighter jet were found dead in the woods of Mount Kalatungan, Bukidnon.
AFP EastMinCom Commander Lieutenant General Luis Rex Bergante said the aircraft and its crew were located around 11:00 a.m. He said the plane was “totally wrecked” when it was discovered by search and rescue teams deployed onsite.
Bergante said operations are ongoing to retrieve the bodies, adding that the area has been cordoned off for investigation.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Philippine Army said earlier they have intensified search and rescue operations for the two pilots operating the FA-50 aircraft that went missing during a tactical mission on Tuesday.
Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, in an interview, emphasized the challenges posed by the terrain and weather conditions during the operations that made it difficult to conduct an aerial search.
“The signals from the personal locators of our pilots were detected and that became our basis for the general area, but it was hard to pinpoint the exact location. At the same time, the area was mountainous and forested and foggy,” she explained.
The missing aircraft was one of the Air Force’s FA-50 fighter jets, acquired between 2015 and 2017. These jets are considered vital assets, having played a crucial role in operations such as the 2017 Marawi siege.
Castillo confirmed that the aircraft took off from Cebu and lost contact while en route to its target area. She also said that the PAF pilots were capable of both day and night operations.
In light of the incident, the Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of FA-50 fighter jets as a precautionary measure.