A cargo plane operated by Turkish carrier ACT Airlines veered off the runway and into the sea at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) early Monday, killing two airport staff members after striking their patrol vehicle.
The Boeing aircraft, arriving from Dubai under an Emirates flight number, skidded off the north runway at approximately 3:50 a.m. local time. The impact broke the plane in two, with the tail section snapping off and parts of the fuselage partially submerged in the sea, video footage showed.
“Unfortunately, an airport security patrol car was there at that time. The aircraft collided with the patrol car and pushed the car into the sea,” said Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations. The two staff members inside the vehicle were killed.
The plane had shown no signs of distress before landing, and no emergency signal was received, according to Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department.
All four crew members aboard were taken to hospital with injuries.
More than 200 emergency personnel, fire engines, and rescue boats responded to the scene. While HKIA has suspended its north runway pending recovery efforts, operations on the other two runways remain unaffected, ensuring no major flight disruptions.
ACT Airlines had operated the flight on behalf of Emirates under a wet-lease agreement.
Leave a Reply