A U.S. military-contracted surveillance plane crashed in Maguindanao del Sur, a province in the southern Philippines, on Thursday morning, killing all four people on board, including a U.S. Marine and three defense contractors. The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air 350, was on a routine intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission at the request of Philippine allies when it went down near the town of Ampatuan, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
In a statement, the command confirmed that the mission was part of long-standing U.S.-Philippine security cooperation efforts aimed at bolstering regional stability. “The aircraft was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies. The incident occurred during a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities,” the statement said.
Local officials reported that residents in the area observed smoke coming from the plane moments before it crashed into a rice field and exploded. Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, told the Associated Press that the wreckage landed about half a kilometer from a group of farmhouses.
A U.S. servicemember and three contractors were killed in a plane crash in the Philippines.
A light aircraft conducting an ISR mission for the Philippine Armed Forces crashed near Ampatuan, killing one U.S. servicemember and three defense contractors. pic.twitter.com/rceZKaffHm
— The Viral Videos (@The_viralvideo_) February 6, 2025
The aircraft was registered to Metrea Special Aerospace ISR, Inc., and was contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense as part of ongoing ISR operations. Metrea confirmed the loss of the plane and crew in a statement, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased. “It is with deep regret that we confirm there were no survivors. The families of our crew have been informed, and we are providing full support,” the company said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The identities of the four individuals have not been released pending notification of next of kin. A defense official told USNI News that the Marine on board was the only active-duty U.S. service member, while the three others were civilian contractors who may or may not have been U.S. citizens.
Images from the crash site show the charred remains of the Beechcraft King Air 350 scattered across the rice field.
Just earlier this week, U.S. and Philippine fighter jets conducted joint patrols near the contested Scarborough Shoal, which has been the site of recent Chinese military activity. The Philippines has been working closely with the U.S. to enhance its defense capabilities amid territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
The U.S. and Philippine governments have long maintained a military alliance, and American forces have been stationed at Philippine bases in Mindanao for decades, providing advisory and training support to local troops combating insurgent and extremist groups. In recent years, the two allies have expanded their defense cooperation, with the U.S. gaining access to additional military sites in the Philippines under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
