DoD-Contracted Spy Plane Crashes In Philippines

The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) announced on X that a spy plane contracted by the Department of Defense crashed in a rural area of Maguindanao del Sur in the Philippines.

„The aircraft was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies. The incident occurred during a routine mission in support of US-Philippine security cooperation activities,” USINDOPACOM said.

USINDOPACOM continued, „We can confirm no survivors of the crash. There were four personnel on board, including one US military service member and three defense contractors,” adding the cause of the „crash is under investigation.”

pic.twitter.com/T8mub8Dm32

— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) February 6, 2025

Local media outlet Philippine News Agency said the spy plane was a Beechcraft King Air 350 twin-turboprop aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.

„A small private plane, Beech King Air 350 (B350), crashed around 2:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 6, 2025) in Barangay Malatimon, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur. According to police, four bodies, including two male, were retrieved by responding villagers from the wreckage,” the media outlet wrote on X.

BREAKING | A small private plane, Beech King Air 350 (B350), crashed around 2:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 6, 2025) in Barangay Malatimon, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur. According to police, four bodies, including two male, were retrieved by responding villagers from the wreckage. |… pic.twitter.com/bUeI4cCUEi

— Philippine News Agency (@pnagovph) February 6, 2025

Footage of the wreckage has surfaced on other X accounts:

NEWS UPDATE: Mga larawan sa nahulog na eroplano sa isang sakahan sa bayan ng Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur ngayong hapon. | #JKRSNews

Ang private Plane ay may body No. N349C

Photo Courtesy: JHO UPAM pic.twitter.com/qLQUTB5eIO

— JKRS News & Public Affairs (@jkrsnews) February 6, 2025

EROPLANO SA MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR, BUMAGSAK; APAT, PATAY

Apat katao ang patay sa pagbagsak ng isang Eroplano sa Barangay Malatimon, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del sur.#dwiz #dwiznews #aliw23 pic.twitter.com/jUF4o3QhVq

— DWIZ Newscenter (@dwiz882) February 6, 2025

USINDOPACOM did not disclose details about the targets the spy plane was tracking and or if those targets were related to terrorism trends in Southeast Asia.