Cargo Plane Skids Off Hong Kong Runway Into Sea, Killing Two Ground Staff

Cargo Plane Crashes Into Sea at Hong Kong Airport

A cargo plane arriving from Dubai veered off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday, colliding with an airport patrol vehicle and ending up partially in the sea. The incident, which occurred at approximately 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT), killed two ground staff inside the vehicle, while all four crew members on board survived.

The flight, Emirates EK9788, is a Boeing 747-481 cargo aircraft wet-leased from Turkish carrier Act Airlines, meaning the leasing airline provided the plane, crew, and insurance. Emirates confirmed there was no cargo on board.

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Crash Details and Immediate Response

According to airport operations executive director Steven Yiu, the patrol vehicle was traveling outside the runway fencing at a safe distance when the aircraft veered off course, broke through the fencing, and collided with the vehicle, pushing it into the water.

“Normally the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said, noting that the aircraft did not send a distress signal during landing. He emphasized that the patrol car did not enter the runway.

Divers later recovered the bodies of the deceased ground staff, aged 30 and 41, who had seven and twelve years of airport experience respectively.

The four crew members quickly evacuated the plane using emergency doors, with at least one evacuation slide deploying successfully. Fire service teams arrived within two minutes to assist.

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Extent of Damage

Photos show the plane broken in half, with sections of the fuselage submerged and large cracks visible. Airport authorities confirmed that runway operations were disrupted, with one runway closed for the day while the other two remain open. At least 11 cargo flights were canceled.

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Investigation and Safety Considerations

Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) is attempting to recover the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the sea. Authorities have not ruled out criminal investigations, as questions remain over the aircraft’s path during landing.

The incident is one of the deadliest at Hong Kong International Airport since its opening at Chek Lap Kok in July 1998. The only other fatal accident occurred in August 1999, when a China Airlines passenger plane crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.

Hong Kong’s Transport Bureau expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, calling the event “tragic” and a sobering reminder of the risks faced by airport ground personnel.