A Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed at Hong Kong International Airport in the early hours of Monday morning. The aircraft arrived from Dubai and skidded off the north runway, crashing through perimeter fencing and striking a patrol car before coming to rest partially in the sea. Two airport security staff in the vehicle were pulled from the water and later pronounced dead, according to local media.
The Emirates-operated flight EK9788, flown by Turkish carrier Air ACT under a wet-lease arrangement, landed at about 3:50 a.m. local time (19:50 GMT). All four crew members aboard the Boeing 747-481 were rescued and are reported safe, Emirates told the BBC.
🚨BREAKING: A Boeing 747-481 (registration TC-ACF), operating Emirates Flight EK9788 from Dubai, veered off the runway after landing at Hong Kong International Airport.
— Gokhan Karalar M.D. (@gokhankaralar) October 20, 2025
The aircraft reportedly collided with a ground service vehicle, dragging it into the water. While the crew… pic.twitter.com/cfvsijTIAv
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said at a press conference that the weather was clear and runway conditions met operational standards at the time of the crash. Yiu also confirmed that the aircraft did not send a distress signal prior to landing.
Fire Services officials said more than 200 emergency personnel responded within minutes, finding the aircraft broken in two with its nose section resting against a sea wall. The north runway has been closed pending a safety review, while the airport’s center and south runways remain operational.
Authorities from Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority are searching for the Boeing’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Officials said the 30-year-old aircraft had been converted from a passenger jet into a freighter and was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident.
An airACT 747 veered off the runway on landing in Hong Kong, reportedly striking a ground vehicle. Local media are now reporting one occupant of the vehicle has died and the other has been taken to hospital. https://t.co/umS4W1jT8f pic.twitter.com/7w6pFdIDOc
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 19, 2025
The crash marks only the second fatal incident at the airport since its opening in 1998, following a 1999 China Airlines accident during a typhoon that killed three people, according to the BBC.
UPDATE: The NTSB announced on Tuesday that it is sending a team of five investigators to Hong Kong to assist with investigations into the accident.
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