Four people were killed Thursday when a surveillance plane crashed in the Philippines.
The plane, which was chartered by the Department of Defense, crashed in the Philippine Province of Maguindanao del Sur, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a news release on its website.
The release said, the “routine mission” was part of a U.S. effort to provide “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies.”
The release said, the cause of the crash was under investigation.
Indo-Pacific Command said, it would not release the names of the victims until their families were notified.
USNI News, citing sources it did not name, said one Marine and three defense contractors were killed in the crash.
The Beechcraft twin-engine Super King Air 350 was operated by Metrea, a U.S. defense contractor, USNI reported.
“It is with deep regret we are able to confirm that there were no survivors. The families of our crew have been informed, and we’re providing full support,” Metrea said in a statement.
“Metrea has enacted its emergency response plan and is working closely with all relevant government authorities to establish the cause of the accident. The safety and well-being of our employees and customers continues to be our top priority,” the statement said.
US service member, 3 contractors killed in plane crash in Philippines | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/OTCH8UyTIC
— wdsu (@wdsu) February 6, 2025
Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, said residents of the area reported seeing smoke coming out of the plane, according to the Associated Press.
Witnesses also reported that they heard an explosion before the plane crashed, Beaty said.
No residents near the crash site were injured, but one water buffalo was killed.
A U.S. service member and three defense contractors died in a plane crash in the southern Philippines. The aircraft was on a routine intel mission for Philippine allies. Witnesses saw smoke before impact. No injuries reported on the ground. Cause under investigation. pic.twitter.com/3FtyaXQt4m
— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) February 6, 2025
American troops have provided support to Filipino troops fighting Muslim insurgents in the region where the plane went down.
USNI reported that flight tracking showed that at one time, the place flew over part of the South China Sea.
The South China Sea is a hotbed of tensions because of multiple competing claims in the sea, many of which involve China.
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