Two killed as cargo plane skids off Hong Kong runway, plunges into sea
Two people were killed early Monday morning when a cargo plane veered off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport, struck a security patrol car, and skidded into the sea, officials confirmed.
The Boeing aircraft, arriving from Dubai, overshot the north runway around 4 a.m. (2000 GMT Sunday) before crashing through a perimeter fence and ending up partially submerged in seawater bordering the airport. The fuselage was badly damaged, and its emergency evacuation slide was deployed in what has been described as one of the most serious incidents since the airport opened in 1998.
Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations at the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the patrol vehicle was positioned outside the runway at the time of the crash. “It was the aircraft that veered off the runway, hit the patrol car, and pushed it into the sea,” he explained.
A 30-year-old man was confirmed dead at the scene, while a 41-year-old colleague died later in hospital. Divers recovered their bodies from the submerged car, about five metres (16 feet) from the shore.
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Emirates Airlines confirmed that the aircraft, operated under a temporary “wet lease” by Turkey-based Act Airlines, was empty and that all crew members were safe.
Yiu stated that both weather and runway conditions were normal at the time of landing. Airport officials released a diagram showing the plane sharply turning left midway along the runway. The aircraft did not issue any emergency signal nor respond to radio calls before the crash.
While the north runway was temporarily closed following the incident, the airport’s other two runways remained operational, with officials assuring that overall flight operations would not be significantly affected.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau expressed deep concern and confirmed that the Air Accident Investigation Authority had launched a full probe into the cause of the crash. Police also said they were not ruling out the possibility of a criminal investigation.
Helicopters from the Government Flying Service and vessels from the Fire Services Department were deployed as part of the emergency response.
Hong Kong’s airport, one of the world’s busiest air cargo hubs, began operating its third runway in November last year as part of a HK$142 billion ($18 billion) expansion project aimed at strengthening its position as a global aviation centre.
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