HONG KONG: Two Hong Kong airport security staff were killed early on Monday after a cargo plane from Dubai skidded off the runway on landing.
The Boeing 747 collided with their security patrol vehicle and pushed it into the sea according to the city’s airport operator.
The incident is the deadliest at the financial hub’s airport in more than 25 years.
The aircraft also fell into the water and was partially submerged but all four crew members on board escaped.
The airport security staff were not breathing when rescued from the water.
One staff member was confirmed dead at the scene and another later at hospital according to Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong.
The accident at the world’s busiest cargo airport involved a plane operated by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates.
Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the crash with weather, runway conditions, the aircraft and aircrew part of the investigation.
The accident occurred around 3:50 a.m. Hong Kong time on Monday.
An air traffic control recording indicated the cargo plane’s pilot confirmed plans to land on runway 07L where the crash occurred.
The pilot did not report any technical issues on the recording according to the reviewed audio.
Man Ka-chai, chief accident and safety investigator for Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, confirmed air traffic control had directed the flight to land at the north runway.
He stated that investigators did not receive any message requesting help from the pilot.
Yiu said the security patrol car was in charge of patrolling the north runway along a road that was outside the runway fence.
He confirmed the vehicle was operating in its usual area and definitely did not rush onto the runway.
The airplane suddenly veered left after landing on the runway before hitting the car which Yiu described as not a normal path.
Flights at Hong Kong’s airport have not been affected by the incident.
Yiu added that the northern runway where the incident occurred would reopen after safety inspections were complete.
The south and central runways are operating as normal according to the authority.
Photos taken after the accident showed a cargo aircraft with AirACT livery partially submerged in water near the airport’s sea wall.
The images showed an escape slide deployed and the nose and tail sections separated.
Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the aircraft had deviated from the north runway after landing and ditched into the sea.
Emirates said flight EK9788 sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong on Monday and was a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from and operated by ACT Airlines.
The airline confirmed crew are safe and there was no cargo onboard.
ACT Airlines is a Turkish carrier that provides extra cargo capacity to major airlines.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said the aircraft involved in the accident was 32 years old.
The plane had served as a passenger aircraft before being converted into a freighter.
Yiu said the airport authority would provide all necessary assistance and support to the families of the deceased.
The two staff who died had worked at the airport for seven and 12 years respectively.
This was the deadliest airport accident in Hong Kong since a China Airlines flight crashed on landing in 1999 killing three of the 315 people on board. – Reuters
