Cargo plane slides off Hong Kong into sea results in two deaths
(MENAFN) A cargo plane veered off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday, ending up in the sea and killing two ground staff, authorities confirmed.
The Emirates flight EK9788, arriving from Dubai at around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT), left the runway and collided with an airport patrol vehicle. Both individuals inside the vehicle, aged 30 and 41 with seven and 12 years of experience respectively, were killed. The four crew members onboard the Boeing 747-481 cargo aircraft survived the incident.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu explained that the patrol car was traveling on a road outside the runway’s fencing at a “safe distance” when the plane unexpectedly turned toward the sea, broke through the fence, and struck the vehicle. Divers later recovered the bodies from the water.
“The plane is normally not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said, noting that no distress signal had been issued during landing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not run out onto the runway.”
Emergency responders reached the site within minutes. The crew opened the aircraft’s emergency doors, and at least one evacuation slide deployed successfully. The plane, wet leased from Turkish carrier Act Airlines, sustained substantial damage, with part of the fuselage submerged and visibly cracked.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the crew’s safety and noted that the aircraft was empty of cargo at the time. The airline described the landing as “damaging,” but confirmed there were no injuries among the crew.
Hong Kong authorities launched an investigation into the crash, with the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) attempting to locate the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the sea. Police said criminal investigations were not being ruled out.
The runway involved in the incident remains closed for the day, though the airport’s other two runways continue to operate. At least 11 scheduled cargo flights were canceled due to the disruption.
The crash is one of the deadliest at Hong Kong International Airport since it opened at Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The only previous fatal incident 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 two deceased staff, calling the incident “deeply saddening.”
A cargo plane veered off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday, ending up in the sea and killing two ground staff, authorities confirmed.
The Emirates flight EK9788, arriving from Dubai at around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT), left the runway and collided with an airport patrol vehicle. Both individuals inside the vehicle, aged 30 and 41 with seven and 12 years of experience respectively, were killed. The four crew members onboard the Boeing 747-481 cargo aircraft survived the incident.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu explained that the patrol car was traveling on a road outside the runway’s fencing at a “safe distance” when the plane unexpectedly turned toward the sea, broke through the fence, and struck the vehicle. Divers later recovered the bodies from the water.
“The plane is normally not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said, noting that no distress signal had been issued during landing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not run out onto the runway.”
Emergency responders reached the site within minutes. The crew opened the aircraft’s emergency doors, and at least one evacuation slide deployed successfully. The plane, wet leased from Turkish carrier Act Airlines, sustained substantial damage, with part of the fuselage submerged and visibly cracked.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the crew’s safety and noted that the aircraft was empty of cargo at the time. The airline described the landing as “damaging,” but confirmed there were no injuries among the crew.
Hong Kong authorities launched an investigation into the crash, with the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) attempting to locate the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the sea. Police said criminal investigations were not being ruled out.
The runway involved in the incident remains closed for the day, though the airport’s other two runways continue to operate. At least 11 scheduled cargo flights were canceled due to the disruption.
The crash is one of the deadliest at Hong Kong International Airport since it opened at Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The only previous fatal incident 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 two deceased staff, calling the incident “deeply saddening.”
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