A US-contracted surveillance plane crashed in the Philippines on Thursday morning, killing all four personnel on board, including one US military service member, according to US Indo-Pacific Command. The crash occurred in Maguindanao del Sur in the southern Philippines. Images from the crash site, confirmed by a US defense official, show the wreckage of a Beechcraft King Air 350 in a rice field. The official said the service member killed in the crash was a US Marine. It is unclear if the three defense contractors were also US citizens. The twin-engine turboprop aircraft was contracted by the Defense Department to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance at the request of the Philippines, Indo-Pacific Command said. The crash occurred during a "routine mission," and the cause of the crash is under investigation. The aircraft is registered to Metrea Special Aerospace ISR, Inc., according to publicly available data. Metrea's website shows a Beechcraft King Air 350 – the type of aircraft that crashed – and advertises "integrated, turnkey Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR) solutions to our defense partners." The crash comes one day after new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held his first call with his counterpart from the Philippines, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. According to a readout of the call, the two discussed the importance of deterrence in the South China Sea and enhancing the capabilities of the Philippine military. — CNN
