Two airport security staff have died after a cargo plane from Dubai skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, colliding with their patrol vehicle and pushing it into the sea.
The Boeing 747, operated by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates, veered off the north runway at around 3:50am local time on Monday (19:50 GMT on Sunday) before plunging into the water. The aircraft was partially submerged, but all four crew members escaped unharmed.
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the two security officers were pulled from the water but were not breathing. One was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other later died in hospital.
The aircraft had landed on runway 07L when it suddenly veered left, striking the security patrol car, which was operating outside the runway fence in its designated area. “It definitely didn’t rush onto the runway,” Yiu said, describing the plane’s path as “not normal”.
Man Ka-chai, Hong Kong’s chief accident and safety investigator, confirmed the plane had been cleared to land on the north runway. No distress signal or request for assistance was received from the flight crew before the crash.
An air traffic control recording reviewed by Reuters captured the pilot confirming his approach to runway 07L without reporting any technical problems. Minutes later, a controller was heard saying: “An incident happened at the airfield just now.”
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, examining factors including the weather, runway conditions, and aircraft performance.
Photos from the scene showed the aircraft, bearing AirACT livery, with its fuselage broken and partially submerged near the airport’s sea wall. An escape slide had been deployed.
The Airport Authority said other operations at the world’s busiest cargo airport were not affected. The south and central runways remain open, while the north runway will reopen after safety inspections.
In a statement, Emirates said the aircraft — operating as flight EK9788 — sustained damage on landing and was a Boeing 747 freighter wet-leased from ACT Airlines. The airline confirmed there was no cargo on board and that all crew were safe.
ACT Airlines said it was cooperating fully with investigators. “It is not yet clear why the aircraft veered off the runway,” the company said. “We have been informed that the aircraft collided with a ground services vehicle, resulting in the loss of two lives.”
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows the aircraft was 32 years old, having previously served as a passenger jet before being converted into a freighter.
The two victims were long-serving members of the airport’s security team, employed for seven and 12 years respectively.
It is the deadliest airport accident in Hong Kong since a China Airlines flight crashed on landing in 1999.
