Two airport security staff were killed early Monday when a cargo aircraft skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, collided with their patrol vehicle, and pushed it into the sea. The Boeing 747, operated by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates, was partially submerged following the crash—the city’s deadliest airport incident in more than two decades.
The accident occurred at approximately 3:50 a.m. local time on the airport’s north runway. All four crew members aboard the aircraft escaped unharmed, according to Emirates, which confirmed the flight—EK9788—was not carrying cargo at the time.
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the two security personnel were found unresponsive in the water. One was declared dead at the scene, while the other died later in hospital. The victims had served at the airport for seven and twelve years, respectively.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with weather, runway conditions, aircraft integrity, and crew actions all under review. Air traffic control recordings reviewed by Reuters indicated the pilot had confirmed landing on runway 07L but did not report any technical issues prior to touchdown.
Man Ka-chai, chief accident and safety investigator for Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, confirmed the aircraft was directed to the north runway and said no distress signal was received from the pilot. Yiu added that the patrol vehicle was operating in its designated area outside the runway fence and did not breach runway boundaries. He described the aircraft’s sudden veer left after landing as “not a normal path.”
Despite the incident, flight operations at the airport remain unaffected. The south and central runways continue to operate normally, and the north runway will reopen following safety inspections.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft partially submerged near the airport’s sea wall, with its nose and tail sections separated and an escape slide deployed. The Civil Aviation Department confirmed the aircraft had “deviated from the north runway after landing and ditched into the sea.”
FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft was 32 years old and had previously served as a passenger jet before being converted into a freighter. Boeing and ACT Airlines have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The crash marks the most fatal airport incident in Hong Kong since a China Airlines flight accident in 1999, which claimed three lives.
