The FA-50 went missing during night anti-insurgency operations with other aircraft in the south of the country, with special forces locating the wreckage and the deceased pilots two days later.
A KAI (Korean Aerospace Industries) FA-50PH of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) went missing during anti-insurgency operations in the night between Mar. 3 and 4, 2025. The aircraft, reportedly with serial number 15-002, was part of a COIN (COunterINsurgency) mission against the New People’s Army guerrillas, a rebel group which the government has been fighting against.
The aircraft crashed in the Pantaron Mountain Range, approximately 40 nautical miles from the target area, in the southern Bukidnon province. Two crew on board the crashed jet remain missing. The FA-50 was deployed with other aircraft to support troops battling guerrillas near the town of Cabanglasan, mentioned the reports.
PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE
STATEMENT REGARDING MISSING FA50 AIRCRAFT#AFPyoucanTRUST#OneAFPOnePhilippines#StrongAFPStrongPhilippines#OurSeasOurRightsOurFuture pic.twitter.com/LPp2zT84F3
— CRSAFP (@AFPCRS) March 4, 2025
The jet, based in Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base near Cebu, “lost communication with the rest of the flight involved in the mission minutes before reaching the target area,” according to the PAF’s spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo. The other aircraft were able to safely return to base.
Col. Ma. Castillo also added that the other aircraft participating in the mission “repeatedly attempted to establish contact with the missing aircraft until their return to Mactan, Cebu,” and that “all available resources” were being used in the CSAR (Combat Search And Rescue) operation for the two downed pilots. This includes other PAF assets, like the C-295.
Philippines Military CASA C -295 Persuader
7585D1, Reg:177 returning from search for the missing FA-50 Jet went missing as Airforce was giving aerial support /airstrikes to ground troops battling 70 insurgents in Mindanao.@Borrowed7Time @masonrothman @ClarkKe49569692 https://t.co/3F0kpvt0cz pic.twitter.com/ogy9zQgFVS
— Cecilia Sykala (@CeciliaSykala) March 4, 2025
“Our primary concern right now is the safe return of our aircrew. We are hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time. Further details will be provided once they are available,” she said. There were also announcements that community-based forest rangers would search the area where the fighter’s signal was lost.
“We are sending two teams up tonight to the area, one in Mount Kilakiron (2,329m) and another in Mount Kalatungan (2,880m),” said a disaster official who is also a reservist in the Air Force. “They will conduct a search there because that was where the signal was lost,” he said.
On Mar. 5, special forces were able to locate the crash site and the wreckage of the FA-50 in a jungle on Mount Kalatungan. A regional military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Francisco Garello, confirmed that the two pilots perished in the crash and their bodies were found near the wreckage, however he did not mention if they were able to eject.
The causes of the crash are unclear and the service has now grounded the FA-50 fleet as the investigation is underway. The incident marks the first serious accident of this scale for the Philippine fighter force.
The FA-50PH in PAF service
The PAF operates 12 KAI FA-50PH light combat aircraft. The aircraft is one of the variants of the KAI T-50 LIFT (Lead-in Fighter Trainer) aircraft, which quickly developed into several variants, like the aerobatics-dedicated T-50B in service with the ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force) Black Eagles demonstration team, a trainer aircraft with rudimentary attack capabilities in the form of the TA-50, and the most combat-oriented FA-50.
Multiple variants of the small but nimble aircraft are also operated by the ROKAF, TNI AU (Indonesian Air Force), RTAF (Royal Thai Air Force), Iraqi Air Force and Polish Air Force.
The first two of the twelve aircraft were delivered to the PAF on Nov. 28, 2015, after a contract was signed by the DND (Department of National Defense) on Mar. 28, 2014. All 12 airplanes were delivered by May. 31, 2017. The FA-50PH saw its first combat flights on Jan. 26, 2017, when the fighter-attack aircraft conducted nighttime strikes on terrorist hideouts in Mindanao.
The DND also recently confirmed an order for 12 additional FA-50PH Block 20s on Jan. 15, 2025. This would create a second FA-50 squadron in the PAF. The Block 20 variants include a more capable radar and a wider selection of munitions available for use. The deal came alongside plans that would see the Air Force also double its A-29 fleet.
The FA-50PH frequently participates in international exercises with allies like, the USAF (United States Air Force), to improve interoperability between allies in the Pacific, a region currently under intense pressure.
