HONG KONG (BN24)— Two airport ground staff lost their lives early Monday when a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea. The Boeing 747-481 cargo aircraft, operating Emirates flight EK9788, was arriving from Dubai at approximately 3:50 a.m. local time when the accident occurred, shattering the city’s otherwise strong aviation safety record.
According to Hong Kong Airport Authority officials, the aircraft veered sharply off the runway after touchdown, crashing through the airport perimeter fence and colliding with an airport patrol vehicle that was traveling on a road located outside the runway’s secured area. Both occupants of the vehicle, aged 30 and 41 with seven and twelve years of service at the airport, were killed instantly. The four crew members aboard the plane escaped injury and were safely evacuated within minutes.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu provided crucial clarifications during a Monday morning news briefing. He stressed that the patrol vehicle was on a designated road outside the runway fence, at what officials deemed a “safe distance.” You categorically denied claims that the patrol car entered the runway itself, stating, “The car definitely did not run out onto the runway.” According to Yiu, the plane’s unexpected deviation toward the sea after landing remains puzzling. “Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” he said, adding that the aircraft did not emit any distress signals during its final approach or landing.
Initial reports indicated that the plane was a Boeing 747-481 freighter, wet-leased and operated by Turkish airline Act Airlines on behalf of Emirates. A wet lease means the aircraft, crew, and insurance are provided by Act Airlines, which operates the flight under Emirates’ flight number. At the time of the crash, the aircraft was not carrying any cargo.
Emergency crews responded swiftly, arriving at the scene within two minutes of the crash. Firefighters assisted the four crew members in opening the emergency doors and evacuating the plane. Visual evidence from the crash site revealed that the fuselage had fractured into two parts, with the forward section partially submerged in the water. Significant structural damage was visible, including large cracks along the body of the aircraft. At least one evacuation slide was reported to have deployed successfully during the emergency exit.
Divers were dispatched to search the surrounding waters and recovered the bodies of the two patrol car occupants from the sea. Their identities and years of service highlight the loss to the airport community, prompting the Hong Kong Transport Bureau to issue a statement expressing deep sadness and extending condolences to the bereaved families.
In the wake of the crash, the Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) confirmed it is conducting a thorough investigation. Teams are actively searching underwater for the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder—commonly known as the black boxes—which are critical to determining the sequence of events leading to the accident. Authorities have also indicated that criminal investigations have not been ruled out pending further findings.
The accident caused the immediate closure of the affected runway, though the airport’s other two runways remained operational to minimize disruption. The closure led to at least 11 cargo flights being canceled on Monday, according to the Hong Kong Airport Authority’s website, highlighting the wider impact on the airport’s logistics and operations.
This incident marks one of the most serious aviation accidents to occur at Hong Kong International Airport since its opening at Chek Lap Kok in July 1998. Previously, the only other fatal accident at the airport happened in August 1999, when a China Airlines passenger plane crash-landed during a typhoon, resulting in three deaths.
As investigators continue to piece together the cause of the cargo plane’s abrupt departure from the runway, questions remain about possible mechanical failure, pilot error, or other contributing factors. The incident underscores the challenges and risks involved in managing one of Asia’s busiest air cargo hubs.
