By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is committed to further strengthening its safety protocols and fostering excellence in every mission through a more robust organizational safety culture, its spokesperson said Tuesday.
Speaking at a press briefing at the 2nd Infantry Division’s headquarters in Camp Mateo Capinpin in Sampaloc, Tanay, Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said a “confluence of factors” led to the fatal crash of one of the PAF’s FA-50PH fighter jets in Mount Kalatungan, Bukidnon on March 4, which killed two military pilots.
“The thorough investigation points to a confluence of factors, including the inherent risk of night flying over mountainous terrain combined with the complexity of multi-aircraft combat operations,” she said.
Castillo noted that to prevent another mishap, they would take steps to boost safety within the PAF, “prioritizing the well-being of our personnel and the preservation of our equipment in all future operations.”
She also dismissed the possibility that the accident was caused by technical or mechanical problems in the aircraft.
“Based on the data that was extracted and assessed, there was no technical or mechanical problem that caused the mishap. As I’ve mentioned, the confluence of factors are attributable to the inherent risks of environmental factors, such as night flying, flying over mountainous terrain. At the same time, there are the operational risks, the complexity of operating with multiple aircraft in a combat situation. These are the factors that interplay causing the mishap,” Castillo said.
The grounding of all 11 remaining FA-50PH fighter jets on March 5 was lifted on March 25, Castillo said, augmenting the PAF’s readiness to respond to challenges against national defense and security.
“Currently our FA-50s are participating in Cope Thunder (Philippines) exercise and will also see action in future multilateral exercises, such as ‘Balikatan’,” she added.
