A cargo Boeing 747 skidded off the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport in the early hours of Monday, crashed through perimeter fencing and ended up partially submerged in the sea, killing two airport security workers who were in a patrol vehicle hit by the jet. Four crew members on board the aircraft were rescued and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The aircraft, a 747-400 freighter operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines under lease for Emirates SkyCargo, had arrived from Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport and touched down at about 3:50 a.m. local time before veering off the runway, Hong Kong authorities said. Officials and media reports say the jet struck the patrol car outside the runway fence and pushed it into the water.
Rescue teams mounted a large response that included fire crews, police divers, marine vessels and a helicopter. Divers recovered the two victims from the submerged vehicle after an underwater search; one was declared dead at the scene and the other died after being taken to hospital, police said. Photographs from the scene show the fuselage partially in the water, deployed escape slides and the aircraft appearing to have separated sections.
Airport Authority Hong Kong said the north runway was closed for emergency operations and to allow investigators access, but the airport’s remaining runways continued to handle passenger traffic and there were not expected to be major passenger disruptions. The authority also described the incident as one of the city’s most serious in recent years and confirmed that weather and runway conditions were reported as safe at the time of landing.
Investigators from Hong Kong’s aviation and safety agencies have begun examining the wreckage; authorities said both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are being recovered for analysis. Early statements indicate the aircraft did not broadcast any distress call before the excursion; officials said they will look into technical, operational and human factors in the coming days.
Emirates and ACT Airlines have both acknowledged the accident and said they are cooperating with local authorities; Boeing had not immediately commented, according to reports. The jet involved was reported to be more than 30 years old and had been converted from a passenger aircraft into a freighter.
This developing story is likely to prompt detailed safety and procedural reviews by the airport operator and aviation authorities. We will update with official investigation findings and statements from the airline and Airport Authority Hong Kong as they are released.
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