A cargo aircraft skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday and collided with a security patrol car before both plunged into the sea, killing two people inside the vehicle. The four crew members aboard the aircraft escaped without injury.
The Boeing 747, operated by Turkiye-based ACT Airlines under a wet lease arrangement, was arriving from Dubai around 3:50 a.m. when the incident occurred. The plane had taxied halfway down the north runway before veering off to the left and crashing through the perimeter fence, according to airport officials.
Authorities confirmed that the patrol car had not entered the runway. Instead, the aircraft left the tarmac and struck the vehicle outside the fenced area. Rescue teams arrived to find the aircraft broken into two sections and floating in the sea. The crew waited at the open door for assistance, while divers searched for the security workers trapped in the submerged car. After a 40-minute effort, both victims were recovered but pronounced dead.
Midmorning footage showed the aircraft partially submerged near the airport’s sea wall, with its cockpit and front half visible above water and the tail section detached. Two rescue boats were stationed nearby.
The crash shut down the north runway, though the airport’s two other runways remained operational. Officials said flight schedules would not be affected. Weather conditions were suitable at the time of landing, and investigators are examining the aircraft’s systems, operations and maintenance records.
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are being retrieved. The aircraft, which was 32 years old, carried no cargo.
Hong Kong International Airport sits on reclaimed land near Lantau Island, with runways positioned just meters from the sea. The proximity to water has raised concerns about runway safety in the past.
The aircraft had departed from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, a growing cargo hub. The operator had recently added wet-leased Boeing 747s to meet rising demand.
Tags: Hong Kong cargo plane crash, Boeing 747 runway accident, ACT Airlines Hong Kong crash, Emirates wet lease aircraft, Hong Kong airport patrol car collision, cargo plane sea crash Hong Kong, Hong Kong runway safety, Dubai to Hong Kong cargo flight, air accident investigation Hong Kong, Boeing 747 submerged crash scene
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