A cargo plane veered off the runway and plunged into the sea at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday, killing two men in a security patrol vehicle and marking one of the airport’s most serious accidents since it began operations in 1998.
According to airport officials, the Boeing aircraft, which arrived from Dubai, lost control upon landing at around 4 a.m. local time, broke through a perimeter fence, and struck a patrol car before skidding into the waters bordering the airport.
Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations at the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the vehicle was positioned outside the runway area at the time of the crash. “It was the aircraft that veered off the runway to hit the patrol car, which was outside the fence, and pushed it into the water,” he explained.
Rescue divers recovered the two men, aged 30 and 41, from the submerged vehicle about five metres from shore. One was confirmed dead at the scene, while the other was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Emirates Airlines confirmed that the aircraft was operating under a short-term “wet lease” from Turkey-based Act Airlines and was not carrying cargo at the time. The airline also reported that all crew members were safe.
Authorities said that weather and runway conditions were “safe and met all requirements for operations” when the incident occurred. A diagram released by investigators showed the aircraft abruptly turning left midway down the runway before it left the tarmac.
No emergency signal was transmitted by the aircraft, and air traffic control received no response to repeated radio calls, officials added.
The airport’s north runway was temporarily closed following the crash, though the other two runways remained operational.
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Officials said the incident was not expected to significantly disrupt flight schedules.
The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority has launched a probe to determine the cause of the crash, while police said they are not ruling out the possibility of a criminal investigation.
Helicopters from the Government Flying Service and vessels from the Fire Services Department were deployed for search and rescue operations, local media reported.
Hong Kong, one of the world’s busiest air cargo hubs, began operating its third runway last November as part of a HK$142 billion ($18 billion) expansion project aimed at strengthening its competitiveness in global aviation.