U.S. military-linked plane crashes in Maguindanao

A contracted aircraft supporting the U.S. Department of Defense crashed on Thursday afternoon, 6 February, in the municipality of Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, leaving four people dead.

Local officials identified the plane as a Beechcraft King Air 300 with registration number N349CA. According to Ameer Jehad Ambolodto, the provincial disaster response officer, emergency responders recovered the bodies of four victims — described as Caucasian-looking men, according to the Philippine News Agency — following the crash in a rice field in Barangay Malatimon.

In a statement, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Public Affairs confirmed the loss of four personnel on board: one U.S. military service member and three defense contractors. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The aircraft was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of Philippine authorities as part of ongoing U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities.

Eyewitness accounts suggest the aircraft was flying low over Ampatuan, as if surveying the area, before it suddenly nose-dived. Videos circulating on social media showed the wreckage, including a water buffalo that was fatally injured in the incident.

PNP speaks

In a separate statement, the Philippine National Police (PNP), through the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BARMM), said it is providing full support to CAAP’s efforts, such as securing the crash site and assisting in search, rescue, and recovery operations as needed.

“We affirm that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is the primary agency leading the investigation into this incident. We urge the public to refrain from speculating and allow the proper authorities to conduct their investigation,” it stressed. 

The PNP said it would provide necessary assistance related to the incident.

The USINDOPACOM has existing engagements with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) covered by the annually approved activity list of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB). 

Both militaries are annually establishing mutually agreed-upon policy directions on defense and security issues that further strengthen the cooperation between the Philippines and the US.

The AFP said these engagements also reaffirm both nations' “shared commitment” to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the joint pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific region against the backdrop of a rules-based international order.

Meanwhile, the AFP refused to disclose the details of the aircraft mission. 

“The AFP acknowledges that the US counterparts involved in the fatal crash provided intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support. Details of which will not be disclosed in the interest of confidentiality and operational security,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a Viber message on Friday. 

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic crash. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time,” she added. 

Padilla stressed the Philippines and the US “maintain a strong and longstanding alliance, built on mutual trust and cooperation.”

“Our collaboration continues to strengthen our capabilities in addressing security challenges and ensuring peace and stability in the region,” she said.