Tragedy struck early Monday at the Hong Kong International Airport when a cargo aircraft operated under Emirates skidded off the runway and plunged into the sea, killing two ground operations personnel.
The Emirates flight EK9788, arriving from Dubai, veered off course at approximately 3:50 a.m. local time and collided with an airport patrol vehicle stationed near the runway, according to local media reports.
Airport authorities confirmed that the two occupants of the patrol vehicle — men aged 30 and 41 — died instantly. Both were experienced members of the ground operations team, with seven and twelve years of service respectively.
The Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, operated under a wet lease by Turkish carrier ACT Airlines, was not carrying any cargo at the time of the incident. All four crew members onboard survived and were rescued by emergency personnel.
Images from the crash site showed the aircraft broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in the sea. One emergency evacuation slide was successfully deployed, aiding the crew’s escape.
Steven Yiu, Director of Airport Operations, stated that the patrol vehicle had been on a service road “at a safe distance from the runway” when the aircraft unexpectedly deviated from its landing path.
“Normally, a plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said. “The patrol car definitely did not enter the runway.”
The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) has commenced a full investigation and is currently searching for the aircraft’s black boxes — the flight data and cockpit voice recorders — believed to have sunk near the crash site.
The Transport Bureau expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and described the incident as one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Hong Kong in recent years.
At least 11 cargo flights scheduled for Monday were cancelled as one of the airport’s runways remains closed for investigation.
This marks only the second fatal aviation incident since the airport relocated from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The first occurred in 1999 when a China Airlines passenger jet crash-landed during a typhoon, resulting in three fatalities.
Ravenewsonline reports that further updates will be provided as investigations progress.
