A cargo plane veered off the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport during a landing on Monday and crashed into the sea, killing two men who were in a security patrol car. The Boeing aircraft, which was on a temporary lease from Act Airlines and operated by Emirates Airlines, left the tarmac, struck the vehicle and then skidded into the water. The plane was empty of cargo and its crew was confirmed safe.
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the incident occurred at around 4 a.m. The patrol car was not on the runway at the time; it was hit after the aircraft veered off and crashed through the fence. Divers recovered the two occupants, aged 30 and 41, from the sunken car and confirmed their deaths. Weather and runway conditions were reported to be safe, and officials released a diagram showing the aircraft abruptly turning left halfway down the runway. The plane did not send an emergency signal and did not respond to radio calls from the airport.
The north runway was temporarily closed while the other two runways remained operational, and Yiu indicated that the incident is not expected to affect overall airport operations. The Air Accident Investigation Authority will lead a thorough investigation, and police may launch a criminal inquiry. This accident is one of the most serious at the airport since it began operations in 1998.
The airport’s recent expansion, which saw the third runway enter service last November after an eight‑year, HK$142 billion project, was intended to keep Hong Kong competitive as an aviation hub. The crash underscores the need for robust safety measures. Authorities will continue to investigate the cause and provide updates, focusing on determining the circumstances of the crash and implementing steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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