US surveillance aircraft crashes in the Philippines-four deaths

US surveillance aircraft crashes in the Philippines-four deaths

A surveillance plane commissioned by the USA crashed in the Philippines on Thursday morning, with all four crew members, including a US military person, died. This was shared by the US Indo Pacific command.

accident location and details

The crash occurred in Maguindanao del Sur, in the south of the Philippines. Images of the scene of the accident, which were confirmed by a US defense officer, show the debris of a Beechcraft King Air 350 in a rice field.

victim of the crash

The official report states that the military member who died in the crash was a US marine. It is unclear whether the other three defense officers are also US citizens.

Details about the aircraft mission

The two-engine turbo progresser had been commissioned by the Ministry of Defense in order to carry out educational, surveillance and surveillance missions at the request of the Philippines. According to the Indo-Pacific command, the crash took place during a "routine mission" and the causes are currently being examined.

Information about the operator

The plane is registered on Metrea Special Aerospace ISR, Inc., according to public data. The Metrea website shows a Beechcraft King Air 350 - the type of the crashed aircraft - and advertises "integrated, turnkey solutions for air -assisted education, surveillance and surveillance (AISR) for our defense partners".

political relevance of the incident

The crash occurred a day after the new Minister of Defense pete hegseth led to his Filipino counterpart, the National Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr. According to a summary of the conversation, the two discussed the importance of deterrent in the South China Sea and the improvement of the skills of the Filipino forces.