MANILA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft crashed in Lipa City, south of Manila, during a training flight on Monday, the military said.
Consuelo Castillo, chief of the Air Force Public Affairs Office, said the SF260FH Marchetti encountered problems upwind of the runway of the Fernando Air Base in Batangas province when the accident happened.
Despite the low altitude, Castillo said the pilots managed to maneuver the aircraft to an open area within the air base's perimeter, causing no harm and damage to nearby communities.
Castillo said emergency responders were quickly dispatched to the scene to extricate the pilots. "After going through the mandatory medical checks, both pilots have been declared safe and are undergoing treatment," she added.
Castillo said the aircraft was being recovered and assessed. An investigation was underway to determine the cause.
In January, two PAF pilots were killed when an SF260TP Marchetti plane crashed in Bataan province 40 minutes after taking off during a training flight. ■