Cargo Plane Crashes Off Hong Kong Runway, Two Killed

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Monday, October 20th, 2025

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Hong Kong, October 20 – A cargo aircraft operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday and plunged into the sea, killing two airport security workers. The plane’s four crew members escaped without injury.
The Boeing 747 freighter, operating under a wet lease for Emirates, had arrived from Dubai and was attempting to land around 3:50 a.m. According to airport officials, the pilots did not issue a distress call before touchdown and were midway down the runway when the aircraft veered left and collided with a patrol vehicle before sliding into the water.
Rescue teams found the plane split into two sections, partially submerged near the airport’s seawall. The four crew members were rescued safely from an open door, while divers located the two trapped workers after a 40-minute underwater search.
One of the airport’s three runways remains closed following the accident, though authorities said flight operations continue normally. Weather conditions at the time were suitable for landing.
The Air Accident Investigation Authority has classified the incident as an accident and is examining flight systems, maintenance records, and operational factors. The aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are being recovered.
Emirates confirmed the plane was empty of cargo and operated by ACT Airlines, which previously suffered a fatal crash in 2017 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The 32-year-old aircraft had departed from Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport, Emirates’ secondary hub for cargo operations.