US service member, contractors die in Philippines plane crash: what we know
By
Gabe Whisnant is Deputy Weekend Editor at Newsweek based in South Carolina. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2023, he directed daily publications in North and South Carolina. As an executive editor, Gabe led award-winning coverage of Charleston church shooter Dylan Roof's capture in 2015, along with coverage of the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. You can get in touch with Gabe by emailing g.whisnant@newsweek.com. Find him on Twitter @GabeWhisnant.
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One U.S. service member and three defense contractors were killed on Thursday when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The aircraft was on a routine mission, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of Philippine allies, the command said in a statement. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines also confirmed the crash of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province but did not immediately provide further details to the Associated Press.
The bodies of the four individuals were recovered from the wreckage in Ampatuan town, according to a safety officer from Maguindanao del Sur. The Indo-Pacific Command noted that the names of the deceased are being withheld until family notifications are made.
More to follow.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
