The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is set to lift the order temporarily grounding the FA-50 fighter jets following a crash of one of the fleet on March 5 in Bukidnon.
This was announced by PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo during a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Castillo said the comprehensive inspection of the FA-50PH fleet is nearing completion, paving the way for the aircraft’s return to operational status.
“And we are committed to bringing back this fleet to full operational status very soon, hopefully within this week. So that we can get them back to their essential missions of maritime patrol, airspace security, and support to ongoing focused military operations,” she added.
The PAF grounded the remaining 11 FA-50 fighter jets following the crash during a night-time tactical operation in Bukidnon.
Castillo declined to provide details of the inquiry, but said they were still awaiting the results of assessments conducted abroad.
“As for the ongoing investigation regarding the mishap, currently we are awaiting the results of the voice and data extraction and assessment, which was done overseas,” she said.
Castillo also said the investigation team is conducting visual interviews of all personnel involved, both on the air and on the ground.
“At the same time, we are also looking at all the maintenance and history records of our aircraft. And we are committed to come up with a swift, impartial, and thorough investigation regarding this, so that we can assure that our future operations are safe for everyone,” Castillo said.