Giant Plane Breaks in Half on Impact, Crashes into Sea, Casualties Recorded

• Two Hong Kong airport security staff were killed when an Emirates cargo plane skidded off the runway and plunged into the sea
• Officials confirmed the Boeing 747, arriving from Dubai, crashed through a perimeter fence before hitting a patrol car outside the runway zone
• Investigators are searching for the aircraft’s black boxes as the north runway remains closed and 11 cargo flights are cancelled

Two airport security personnel have died after a cargo aircraft skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea early Monday morning.

The Emirates-operated flight, EK9788, was arriving from Dubai when it veered off course during landing, tearing through perimeter fencing and crashing into a patrol vehicle before both ended up in the water.

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Authorities confirmed that the two occupants of the vehicle, a 30-year-old driver and a 41-year-old officer, were pulled from the submerged car but did not survive, BBC reported.

The four crew members aboard the Boeing 747 survived the crash and were rescued shortly after the incident.

Officials launch probe into crash cause

Airport operations chief Steven Yiu told reporters that the patrol car had been operating outside the fenced runway zone “at a safe distance” before the plane suddenly turned off its landing path. He clarified that “the plane then crashed through the fencing and collided with the vehicle, pushing it into the sea.”

“Normally the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said, adding that the crew did not issue any distress signal before impact.

He also confirmed that the patrol team “definitely did not run out onto the runway.”

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Rescue divers located the victims’ vehicle about five meters from the shore and seven meters underwater. One officer was confirmed dead at the scene, while the other succumbed to injuries in the hospital.

Investigation and flight disruptions follow

The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said recovery teams are searching for the aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders to determine what went wrong during landing.

Investigators will examine weather patterns, runway conditions, aircraft systems, and crew performance.

The Transport Bureau expressed sorrow over the loss of the two ground staff and sent condolences to their families. The agency described the tragedy as one of the most serious aviation incidents at the airport in recent years.

Emirates said in a statement that the aircraft “sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong” but confirmed that “crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard.”

The Boeing 747-481 cargo plane was wet leased from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines.

Photographs from the scene show the plane split into two sections, with part of its fuselage submerged in water. One of the emergency evacuation slides was seen inflated and floating nearby.

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Airport officials said the affected north runway would remain closed for the rest of the day as recovery work continues. At least 11 scheduled cargo flights were canceled, although two other runways remain operational.

The crash marks only the second fatal aviation incident at Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport since its opening in 1998, following a 1999 China Airlines crash that claimed three lives.

Nigerian airplane crash-lands at international airport

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Max Air flight from Lagos crash-landed at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Tuesday at 10:57 p.m.

A passenger confirmed that the aircraft lost its nose landing gear tyre upon touchdown, causing it to burst into flames before the plane skidded to a stop.

Source: Legit.ng