Tragedy unfolded at Hong Kong International Airport as a plane skidded off the runway and crashed into the sea, resulting in the death of two individuals. Fortunately, emergency services were able to rescue four crew members from the aircraft.
The incident involved an Emirates cargo aircraft, flight EK9788, which was leased from Act Airlines. The plane, a Boeing 747-400 with registration TC-ACF, had no cargo onboard at the time of the crash.
The fatal event occurred as the Emirates flight, arriving from Dubai, attempted to land at approximately 3:50 am local time on Monday, October 20. The cargo plane veered off course during the landing, crashing through fencing and colliding with an airport security patrol car, causing it to plunge into the sea and resulting in the death of two ground staff members.
The Fire Service Department swiftly rescued the four crew members from the aircraft. Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong, expressed deep condolences and assured support to the families affected by the tragedy.
Emergency response teams, including 213 firefighters and first aid officers with 45 vehicles and ships, arrived on the scene promptly. The chief accident and safety investigator, Man Ka-chai, revealed that no distress signal was received from the pilot, and the landing was directed to the north runway by air traffic control.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 747-481 (BDSF) that had been in service since 1993 and was previously a passenger aircraft converted into a freighter. The Air Accident Investigation Authority in Hong Kong has initiated an investigation into the accident to determine its causes and prevent similar incidents in the future.
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