A U.S. Department of Defense-contracted aircraft crashed in a rice field in Barangay Malatimon, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, on Thursday afternoon, February 6, 2025. The crash claimed the lives of all four onboard, including one U.S. military service member and three defense contractors. According to a statement by the US Indo-Pacific Command Public Affairs (INDOPACOM), the plane was conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the Philippine government’s request. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Read the statement in the link below.
Meanwhile, below are photos (courtesy of SK Pdrrmo OpCen) during the retrieval operation which started at 10:30am Thursday, February 6, 2025 and ended 3:30am the next day.
Watch this video immediately after the crash.
Browse photos below. A carabao was also critically injured during the crash.
with photos by Bhengs B Salinogen
On February 7, 2025, an American ICH-47 Chinook helicopter arrived to retrieve the bodies from the crash site.
