A cargo plane skids off the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday morning.
A cargo plane veered off the north runway of Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday morning, struck a ground vehicle and plunged almost entirely into the sea, killing two people in the process, with authorities later saying the weather and runway were ‘safe’.
At about 3.50am, Emirates flight EK9788 from Dubai swerved off the runway while landing and struck a security patrol vehicle in the process, according to police.
The aircraft, a Boeing 747 freighter, failed to stop in time and partly landed in the waters off the airport’s north runway. Initial reports suggest the plane also knocked the ground vehicle into the sea.
Two men aboard the ground vehicle were initially reported missing. One, aged 30, was pulled from the sea and confirmed dead at the scene at 5.55am. The other, aged 41, was sent to North Lantau Hospital and was confirmed dead at 6.26am.
All four of the flight’s crew members escaped unharmed. As a result of the incident, the airport’s north runway has been temporarily closed.
‘Weather and runway were safe’: authorities
Steven Yiu Siu-chung, the Airport Authority’s executive director for airport operations, says the two dead security workers were in a vehicle patrolling the area when they were hit and pushed by the aircraft.
He adds that the authority will provide all necessary assistance and support to the family of the two staffers, who worked for the airport for seven and 12 years, respectively.
Yiu says the situation of both weather and runway were safe and met all conditions for runway operation.
He adds that the south and centre runways remain operational, and that the north runway will reopen after a safety assessment and when the aircraft has been removed.
“We don’t expect any impact on today’s operations,” he says, referring to the approximately 1,000 flights scheduled on Monday.
Holding pilot criminally liable?
Asked if the pilot will be held criminally liable, Yip Pun-yu, commander of police’s airport district, says that the force will work closely with the Air Accident Investigation Authority on the probe.
“We do not rule out launching a criminal investigation,” he adds.
Divers found airport staff in sunk patrol vehicle
Yiu Men-yeung, assistant director of the Fire Services Department in New Territories South, says staff were alerted shortly before 4am about the crash. Upon arrival, fire services staff observed the aircraft split in two pieces floating on the sea.
The plane’s four crew members were spotted at the aircraft’s exit waiting to be rescued, he says. They eventually evacuated using the evacuation slide.
Staff also knew that the security patrol car had been affected and immediately rushed to rescue them, Yin adds.
Divers found the vehicle about 40 minutes later with the two security staff inside, five metres (16.4 feet) from the shore and at a depth of seven metres, he says.
In total, 213 fire services and ambulance personnel were deployed. (SCMP)
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