4 Dead After Small Military Plane Crashes in the Philippines

Authorities say four people are dead after a small military plane crashed in the Philippines.

A U.S. military service member and three defense contractors were onboard the aircraft on Thursday, Feb. 6, when it went down in the Philippine Province of Maguindanao del Sur, according to a statement from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Philippine authorities said the plane was traveling from Cebu Province to Cotabato City when it crashed into a rice field in the town of Ampatuan, according to The New York Times.

The plane, contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense, was “providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support” during what U.S. Indo-Pacific Command described as “a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities.”

The Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft was owned by Metrea, according to a statement from the American defense contractor.

All four people who were on the plane died, according to the statements. The victims’ names “are being withheld pending next of kin notification.”

Local officials said a water buffalo on the ground was also killed in the crash, according to the Associated Press. Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster mitigation officer, said no people on the ground were injured.

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Metrea announced on Thursday that it had “enacted its emergency response plan and is working closely with all relevant government authorities to establish the cause of the accident.” 

“The safety and wellbeing of our employees and customers continues to be our top priority,” the defense contractor’s statement said.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said an investigation into the crash is underway.