A cargo plane from Dubai skidded off the runway while landing at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday, crashing into a patrol vehicle and killing two airport security officers, authorities said.
The Boeing 747, operated by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates, veered sharply left after touchdown and struck the vehicle, pushing it into the sea. The aircraft ended up partially submerged, though all four crew members escaped unhurt.
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations, said rescuers pulled the two officers from the water without signs of life. One was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other died later in hospital. The crash occurred around 3:50 a.m. local time.
An air traffic control recording available on LiveATC.net indicated that the pilot of the Hong Kong cargo plane reported no technical issues before landing on runway 07L. Minutes later, a controller was heard saying, “An incident happened at the airfield just now.”
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Investigators said the patrol vehicle had been operating in its normal area outside the runway fence, ruling out the possibility that it entered the runway. Authorities are examining possible causes, including weather, runway conditions, and aircraft systems.
The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority is working to recover the flight’s black boxes from the sea. The affected runway remains closed for the day, though other runways continue to operate.
It is the deadliest airport accident in Hong Kong in more than 25 years and only the second fatal incident since the airport’s relocation to Chek Lap Kok in 1998.