A cargo plane landing at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday veered off the runway, struck a security patrol vehicle, and plunged into the sea, resulting in the deaths of two airport personnel, authorities confirmed. All four crew members aboard the aircraft survived without injury.
The Boeing 747 freighter, operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates under a wet lease agreement, was arriving from Dubai and attempted to land at approximately 3:50 a.m. local time.
According to Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations, the aircraft taxied halfway down the runway before veering left off the paved surface. It breached the airport’s perimeter and collided with a stationary security patrol car before both ended up in the surrounding waters.
“The patrol vehicle did not enter the runway. It was the aircraft that went off course and hit the vehicle outside the fenced area,” Yiu said during a press briefing.
Emergency responders found the aircraft split into two sections, floating in the sea. The cockpit and front portion remained above water, while the tail appeared to have broken off. The four crew members were rescued from the open aircraft door and did not sustain visible injuries, officials said.
Rescue divers located the two airport workers inside the submerged patrol vehicle after a 40-minute search, said Yiu Men-yeung of the Fire Services Department.
The crash occurred on the airport's north runway, which remains closed. However, the airport's two other runways continue to operate normally, and flight schedules have not been affected, airport officials confirmed.
At the time of landing, weather conditions were considered suitable. Investigators from Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority have opened a case, classifying it as an accident. The investigation will assess operational, technical, and maintenance aspects of the flight.
Authorities are currently retrieving the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder as part of the probe.
Emirates, which operates a major cargo operation out of Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, confirmed the aircraft involved — designated as flight EK9788 — was one of two Boeing 747 freighters recently wet-leased from ACT Airlines to meet growing demand.
The plane, 32 years old according to tracking service Flightradar24, was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident.
Hong Kong International Airport, constructed on reclaimed land off Lantau Island, is surrounded by water, with the north runway situated only a few hundred meters from the sea.