CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jet that went missing past midnight Tuesday, March 4, crashed and has been located in Bukidnon.
Both its pilots were confirmed dead by a search team, a military spokesperson said Wednesday, March 5.
Authorities have yet to disclose the identities of the pilots or the cause of the crash. An investigation is underway.
Lieutenant Colonel Salvacion Evangelista, spokesperson for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the crash site was at Mount Kalatungan in the village of Mirayon.
Mirayon is a far-flung barangay in Talakag town.
Evangelista said the bodies of the pilots were found near the wreckage using locator beacons.
The FA-50 disappeared just after midnight on Tuesday during a tactical flight. It went missing about the same time the Air Force carried out airstrikes against the New People’s Army in Cabanglasan town in Bukidnon. – Rappler.com