HONG KONG (AP) — A cargo plane skidded off a runway in Hong Kong early Monday, colliding with a security patrol vehicle before both plunged into the sea. The incident tragically resulted in the deaths of two individuals in the vehicle, while the four crew members aboard the aircraft escaped without injuries.
The Boeing 747, operated by Turkey’s ACT Airlines, was arriving at Hong Kong International Airport at approximately 3:50 a.m. after flying in from Dubai. The airline was under lease from Emirates, a long-haul airline based in Dubai.
According to Steven Yiu, the executive director of airport operations, the pilots did not call for assistance before landing. The plane had taxied nearly halfway down the runway when it veered off to the left. “The patrol car did not enter the runway hastily; the aircraft lost control and hit the patrol vehicle outside the fence,” he clarified during a news briefing.
When rescue teams arrived, they found the aircraft split into two parts in the water, with the crew waiting at the open door for assistance. After a 40-minute search, rescuers discovered the two security personnel trapped in the car, confirmed Yiu Men-yeung, a fire services official.
Runway Closure
Television footage depicted the plane partly submerged just off the edge of the airport’s seawall; the front half and cockpit remained above water, while the tail appeared to be detached. The crash occurred on the airport’s northern runway, which was temporarily closed, though the other two runways continued operations. Yiu reassured that flights would remain unaffected.
At the time of the incident, weather conditions were normal, and the crash is under investigation. The Air Accident Investigation Authority has categorized the incident as an accident, probing various factors, including the aircraft’s systems, operations, and maintenance, while efforts are underway to retrieve the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.
Emirates’ Successful Cargo Operations
Hong Kong International Airport was constructed on reclaimed land formed by merging two islands north of Lantau Island in the South China Sea. The northern edge of the runway is located close to the water’s edge. Emirates operates a successful cargo business from Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, planning a $35 billion enhancement over the next decade.
This incident marks the second fatal accident for ACT Airlines; in 2017, a Boeing 747 operated by the airline crashed while landing in fog in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, claiming the lives of all four crew members and 35 people on the ground. A subsequent report attributed the crash to crew error amidst poor weather conditions.
