MANILA, Philippines — A U.S. military transport aircraft crashed into a concrete road barrier while attempting to take off from a highway being used as an “alternate landing zone” during a contingency training exercise in northern Philippines, leaving five American personnel injured, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon on a concrete bypass road in Laoac town, Pangasinan province, during a special U.S.–Philippines coordinated training activity.
Three personnel hospitalized, two treated on-site
According to initial police reports:
- The pilot and two American personnel were rushed to a hospital for treatment.
- Two others received medical assistance directly at the scene.
Philippine officials told AP that all five were participating in a contingency landing and takeoff exercise, where a U.S. Air Force transport plane was being tested on a non-airport surface to simulate emergency situations.
The aircraft successfully landed on the road but swerved during takeoff, striking a barrier and triggering the injuries.
Training was fully coordinated with Philippine authorities
Three Philippine officials — speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to brief on the matter — stressed that the exercise was planned, supervised, and conducted with full coordination among:
- Philippine military
- Civilian authorities
- Local police
The purpose of the training was to prepare both militaries for scenarios where regular airports or runways become inaccessible, such as during typhoons or major earthquakes.
Context: Growing U.S.–Philippines military cooperation
Such exercises are allowed under the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which permits U.S. forces to train with the Philippine military on Philippine soil.
In recent years, joint drills have increasingly focused on:
- Strengthening territorial defense
- Ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight
- Countering rising tensions in the South China Sea, west of Pangasinan
China claims nearly the entire waterway, sparking clashes and standoffs with the Philippines. Other claimants include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
U.S. reiterates its commitment to defend the Philippines
While the U.S. has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, Washington has repeatedly stated that under its Mutual Defense Treaty, it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft are attacked — including in disputed waters.
The accident in Pangasinan comes at a time of heightened maritime tensions, with near-collisions and confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels becoming more frequent.