The Armed Forces of the Philippines has identified the two Philippine Air Force pilots killed in the March 4 crash of a FA-50, following the recovery of their remains.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Civil Relation Service identified the pilots as Maj. Jude Salang-oy and 1Lt. April John Dadulla.
Colonel Antonio Duluan Jr., commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, told Rappler that the crash site was near the 2,880 meter summit of Mount Kalatungan in northern Mindanao, facing Mount Kitanglad.
The FA-50 was reported missing just after midnight on March 4 during a mission against communist guerillas of the New People’s Army near Calabugao town in Bukidnon, with an air force spokesperson saying on Tuesday that the aircraft was “minutes” away from the mission area when contact was lost.
The crash is the first fatal crash of the Philippine Air Force’s FA-50s. The remaining 11 FA-50s have been grounded while an investigation into the crash is conducted.