Picture credits : X (IndoPac_Info)
Philippines: A U.S.-contracted military aircraft crashed in Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines, on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of one U.S. Marine and three defense contractors, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The Beechcraft Super King Air B300, registered to Metrea Special Aerospace ISR, Inc., was conducting a routine mission, an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission at the request of Philippine authorities.
Crash Details and Eyewitness Accounts
The aircraft went down in a rice field near Ampatuan, approximately half a mile from residential areas.
An explosion and smoke were reported by local residents just before the aircraft crashed. A water buffalo was killed in the incident, but no civilians were injured.
Emergency responders recovered the bodies of all four personnel near the wreckage. Officials confirmed that the U.S. service member was a Marine, while the nationalities of the three contractors remain unconfirmed. The Philippine military has classified details of the incident, and an investigation is ongoing.
Aircraft Information and Ownership
The aircraft, identified by tail number N349CA, was part of Metrea’s fleet, which provides ISR services to defense agencies. The Beechcraft King Air 350, a similar model, is commonly used for such operations.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, with further updates expected as more information becomes available.
Stay tuned to Aviation Today for more updates.
