The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States announced on Tuesday (October 21) that they will dispatch a team of five investigators to Hong Kong to assist in the investigation of an incident involving a cargo plane that took off from Dubai. The incident resulted in the plane skidding off the runway, causing the deaths of two airport security personnel.
The Boeing 747 cargo plane was operated by ACT Airlines, a Turkish cargo airline, on behalf of Emirates Airlines.
According to the Hong Kong Airport Authority, on Monday morning (October 20), a cargo plane from Dubai skidded off the runway while landing at Hong Kong International Airport, colliding with a patrol vehicle carrying two airport security personnel, causing the vehicle to plunge into the sea and resulting in the deaths of the two airport workers.
After colliding with the security patrol vehicle, the plane also ended up in the water, with parts of the fuselage submerged. However, all four crew members on board successfully escaped.
This is the deadliest airport accident in Hong Kong in over 25 years.
Yau Shiu Chung, the Director of Airport Operations at the Hong Kong Airport Authority, disclosed that both airport security personnel were found without breath when rescued from the water. One was confirmed dead on the spot, while the other was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
One of the deceased was a 41-year-old driver, and the other was a 30-year-old employee in the vehicle. They had served at the airport for seven and twelve years, respectively. Yau Shiu Chung stated that the Airport Authority will provide all necessary assistance and support to the families of the deceased.
Hong Kong International Airport is built on reclaimed land, with the northern runway where the incident occurred only a few hundred meters from the sea. It took divers about 40 minutes to locate the submerged patrol vehicle underwater, and the two individuals inside were recovered.
Yau Shiu Chung pointed out that the aircraft suddenly veered to the left after landing on the runway and then collided with the patrol vehicle, which was not on its “normal path.” The security patrol vehicle involved was on duty in a routine area and did not “rush onto the runway.”
Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the plane crash, including factors such as weather conditions, runway conditions, the aircraft itself, and the crew. The Airport Authority emphasized that the weather conditions and runway conditions at the time of the incident were suitable for normal aircraft operations.
According to Reuters, air traffic control recordings indicate that before the accident occurred, the flight crew of the cargo plane had confirmed their plan to land on runway 07L, where the incident took place. In the recordings, the flight crew did not report any technical issues.