Manila: The Philippine air force says two pilots were killed when one of its Italian-made light planes crashed into the sea.
Air force spokesman Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya says the single-prop SF-260FH crashed today while in a formation training flight with two other planes off Nasugbo township in Batangas province south of Manila.
He says the three planes also were taking part in activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the province from the Japanese toward the end of World War II.
He says rescuers recovered the bodies of the pilot and the co-pilot about 300 meters (yards) from the shore.
Canaya also says that air force commander Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado has ordered all such planes grounded pending an investigation into the cause of the crash.