Two airport security staff in Hong Kong lost their lives early Monday when a cargo plane from Dubai veered off the runway during landing, colliding with their security patrol vehicle and pushing it into the sea, as reported by the city’s airport operator. The Boeing 747 involved in this tragic incident, the deadliest in Hong Kong’s financial hub in over 25 years, also ended up in the water, partially submerged. Fortunately, all four crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.
The airport security personnel were found unresponsive after being rescued from the water, with one pronounced dead at the scene and the other succumbing to injuries later at the hospital, according to Steven Yiu, the executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong. The mishap at the world’s busiest cargo airport involved a plane operated by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates, the Dubai-based airline confirmed.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the crash, with factors such as weather conditions, runway status, aircraft performance, and the crew under scrutiny, Yiu stated. The incident occurred around 3:50 a.m. local time on Monday.
An air traffic control recording from LiveATC.net, reviewed by Reuters, indicated that the pilot of the cargo plane had planned to land on runway 07L where the accident happened, without reporting any technical issues before landing. Man Ka-chai, chief accident and safety investigator for Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, confirmed that air traffic control had instructed the flight to land on the north runway but stated that they did not receive any distress calls from the pilot.
Yiu clarified that the security patrol car was on its routine patrol along a road outside the runway fence and did not enter the runway unexpectedly. The plane abruptly veered left post-landing, deviating from its usual path and colliding with the vehicle.
Despite the tragic event, airport operations at Hong Kong remain unaffected, with flights proceeding as scheduled. The northern runway, where the accident occurred, will reopen after safety inspections are concluded, while the south and central runways continue to operate normally. Photos taken after the incident depict the cargo aircraft with AirACT livery partly submerged near the airport’s sea wall, with visible damage and structural separation.
Emirates confirmed that flight EK9788, a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from and operated by ACT Airlines, sustained damage during landing in Hong Kong, with no cargo onboard and the crew members safe. Boeing and ACT Airlines have yet to provide official comments regarding the incident.
This unfortunate event marks the deadliest airport accident in Hong Kong since 1999 when a China Airlines flight crashed during landing, resulting in the loss of three lives out of the 315 individuals on board, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.