Update on Missing Fighter Jet, Crew of Released by PAF
MISSING FIGHTER JET – The authorities have found the Philippine Air Force fighter jet FA-50 and its crew in the mountain of Bukidnon.
Recently, the Philippine Air Force, the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was moved by an unusual incident. It held a Tactical Night Operations in support of the ground troops but not all of the fighter jets were able to return to Mactan, Cebu.
The missing fighter jet of the Philippine Air Force was an FA-50. It lost communication with the rest of the flights involved in the tactical operations “minutes before reaching the target area”.
The Philippine Air Force said the other aircrafts that participated in the Tactical Night Operations exercise “repeatedly attempted to re-establish contact with the missing aircraft” until their return to Mactan, Cebu.
Search operations were conducted to locate the missing fighter jet and crew of the Philippine Air Force. The aerial warfare service branch assured they are utilizing all available resources in trying to locate the missing aircraft and its crew.
Previously, the PAF did not mention the number of crew aboard the FA-50. It also did not mention where the aircraft lost communication with the other participating aircrafts. Meanwhile, it stressed that its main priority is to bring home the crew safe.
“We are hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon, and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time,” PAF stated in a statement.
Recently, the Armed Forces of the Philippines issued a statement on the missing fighter jet and crew of the Philippine Air Force. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the aircraft and its crew were found in Mount Kalatungan, Bukidnon province.
AFP Eastern Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante said that the bodies of two (2) pilots of the FA-50 were found near the site where the wreckage was found at around 11:00 a.m.
The Mount Kalatungan is the fifth tallest mountain in the Philippines measuring to 2,880 meters tall. The crashed FA-50 is one of the dozen of FA-50 jet fighters that the country started acquiring since 2015. Its manufacturer is the Korea Aerospace Industries in partnership with Lockheed Martin.