Two ground workers killed at Hong Kong airport after cargo plane, vehicle fall into sea
HONG KONG — Two people were killed Monday when a cargo plane skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport after hitting a ground service vehicle, sending both the plane and vehicle into the sea, officials said.
The two ground crew members died when the plane collided with the airport security patrol car they were in and pushed it into the water, said Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at the Hong Kong Airport Authority.
A fire official told reporters that the two people killed were a 41-year-old security patrol vehicle driver who had worked at the airport for 12 years and a 30-year-old security guard who had worked there for seven years.
“We are deeply saddened and offer our deepest condolences,” Yiu said. “We will provide the family with all necessary support and assistance. »
The accident occurred around 3:50 a.m. (3:50 p.m. ET Sunday) when Emirates Flight 9788, arriving from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, left the runway and “crashed through the fence and into the sea,” Yiu said.
All four crew members on board the plane, a Boeing 747 freighter, were rescued and sent to hospital. Firefighters said they did not appear injured.
Yiu said the plane did not send any distress signals or other requests for assistance before landing, and the cause of the crash was still under investigation. He said the weather conditions and runway were safe at the time and met all conditions necessary for runway operation.
Man Ka Chai, chief accident and safety investigator at the Air Accident Investigation Authority, said authorities were searching for the plane’s two “black boxes” – flight data recorders – and that the investigation would examine, among other aspects, the plane’s maintenance, flight operations and the weather.
Emirates did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment before the start of business hours in Dubai, where the airline is based.
Emirates told The Associated Press that the plane was wet-leased and operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines. Under a wet lease, the company providing the aircraft also provides crew, maintenance and insurance. Emirates said no cargo was on board.
ACT Airlines also did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The northern runway at Hong Kong International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, is closed due to the accident, Yiu said, while the southern and central runways remain operational. He said he did not expect any impact on the approximately 1,000 passenger flights scheduled for Monday.
