A U.S. Marine and three Pentagon contractors died after their aircraft went down in the Philippines Thursday, officials said.
The crew was on a “routine mission” providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of the Philippines, according to a release by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command officials.
The crash occurred in the Maguindanao del Sur, a Philippine province located in the southern region of the country.
The Indo-Pacific Command release referred to the plane as a “contracted” aircraft and an INDOPACOM official confirmed it was a Beechcraft King Air 350.
There were no immediate details on what led to the crash but officials said that the cause is under investigation.
The names of the aircraft crew were withheld, pending next of kin notification.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.