An Emirates cargo plane (Flight EK9788) skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, crashing into the sea after hitting an airport patrol vehicle. Two ground staff were killed, while all four crew members survived. Authorities are investigating the cause of one of Hong Kong airport's deadliest recent incidents.
Two people are dead after a cargo plane skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea, colliding with an airport patrol vehicle during the crash.
The incident occurred at around 03:50 local time on Monday (19:50 GMT Sunday), when Emirates flight EK9788, arriving from Dubai, veered off the north runway, broke through the perimeter fencing, and struck a patrol car before ending up partially submerged in the sea.
The aircraft, a Boeing 747-481 cargo plane wet leased from Turkish operator ACT Airlines, was carrying no cargo at the time. All four crew members survived the crash. However, the two security personnel inside the patrol vehicle were killed.
The victims, aged 30 and 41, had served with the airport's security team for seven and twelve years, respectively. Divers recovered their bodies from the submerged vehicle, which was found approximately five meters from the shoreline and seven meters underwater. The younger victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was declared dead later in hospital.
Authorities say the aircraft did not issue any distress signal during its landing. Shortly after the crash, the crew opened emergency exits and were rescued by fire service staff who arrived on the scene within two minutes. At least one emergency evacuation slide was successfully deployed.
Images from the crash site show the Boeing 747's fuselage broken in two, with large visible cracks and part of the aircraft submerged.
Hong Kong’s transport bureau expressed deep sorrow over the deaths, extending condolences to the victims’ families. An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the aircraft had sustained damage upon landing but reassured that the crew were safe.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu clarified that the patrol car was traveling outside the runway perimeter at a safe distance and did not breach the runway area. He stated, “The patrol vehicle definitely did not run out onto the runway.” According to him, the aircraft made an unexpected turn toward the sea, crashed through the fencing, and struck the patrol vehicle, pushing it into the water.
He added that clear runway signage and proper landing instructions had been provided to the aircraft. “Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu noted during a news conference.
Investigators from the Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) are working to recover the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, commonly known as the black boxes, from the sea. The ongoing probe will examine weather conditions, runway status, the aircraft's mechanical state, and crew actions at the time. Police have not ruled out the possibility of a criminal investigation.
The airport’s north runway will remain closed for the remainder of the day, though its other two runways continue to operate. At least 11 cargo flights scheduled for arrival on Monday have been cancelled, according to the Airport Authority’s website.
This tragedy marks one of the most serious aviation accidents at Hong Kong International Airport in recent years. It is the second fatal incident since the airport relocated to Chek Lap Kok in July 1998. The first occurred in August 1999, when a China Airlines passenger jet crash-landed during a typhoon, resulting in three fatalities.