DOD-Contracted Aircraft Crashes in the Philippines, Killing U.S. Service Member and Three Defense Contractors

The Beech-craft twin-engine Super King Air 350 aircraft was on a routine mission to support US-Philippine cooperation activities at the request of the Philippines.

MANILA - A surveillance aircraft contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense has crashed in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao del Sur as it was on a reconnaissance mission, killing a U.S. service member and three defense contractors, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Philippine province of Maguindanao del Sur, where the crash occurred. Philippine Map credit: Milenioscuro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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The Beechcraft twin-engine Super King Air 350 aircraft was on a routine mission to support US-Philippine cooperation activities at the request of the Philippines. Four personnel were onboard when the aircraft crashed into a rice field after swerving left and then right, leaving no survivors.

Photo: One of NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's two Beechcraft King Air mission support aircraft

The aircraft hit a water buffalo (carabao), injuring it in the nose before hitting the ground on February 6th, 2025. There are no reports of any other casualties on the ground aside from the buffalo which was fatally injured.

Indo-Pacific Command: Aircraft Was Providing Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance Support At The Request Of Philippine Allies