Two people were killed in a serious accident at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) after a Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft skidded off the runway during landing and crashed over a sea wall. The victims were two airport security staff whose patrol vehicle was struck by the aircraft, while all four crew members on board survived and were taken to hospital, according to local authorities.
The Airport Authority of Hong Kong said the incident occurred at 3:53 a.m. local time on Monday when the Boeing 747-481 BDSF, registration TC-ACF, landed on North Runway 07L and “is suspected to have lost control.” Approximately 5,000 feet from the runway threshold, the aircraft veered sharply to the left, broke through a fence, and went over the sea wall before coming to rest partially submerged, with its tail section severed.
The 32-year-old aircraft was operating Emirates SkyCargo Flight 9788 from Dubai under a wet-lease agreement between Emirates and Turkish cargo operator AirACT Airlines. Emirates confirmed that no cargo was being carried at the time of the accident.
The patrol car from an airport security company was driving along the perimeter road when it was hit by the aircraft and pushed into the water. Divers recovered the vehicle submerged at a depth of around five meters. Two men, aged 30 and 41, were found inside — one pronounced dead at the scene, the other later in hospital. According to the Airport Authority, both were stationed at an observation post as per standard procedures and had worked at the airport for seven and twelve years respectively.
Data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft was traveling at about 90 knots when it left the runway. Photos from the scene show the fuselage partially submerged in the sea, with visible damage below the cockpit and the evacuation slide deployed. Fire and rescue teams immediately began their response, and the crew was successfully evacuated.
The Airport Authority stated that the design and safety features of the runway and apron fully comply with ICAOstandards, and that weather and operational conditions at the time of the incident were within safe limits. Nevertheless, Hong Kong police have not ruled out the possibility of launching a criminal investigation, while a full safety inquiry is already underway.
The North Runway remains closed pending inspection, while the South and Center runways continue to operate normally. Reopening will follow safety assessments by airport and government officials.
The aircraft in question (MSN25645) was originally delivered to All Nippon Airways in 1993 and sold in 2008. It was converted to a freighter in 2011 by IAI Bedek Aviation Group in Tel Aviv. The aircraft spent about six weeks on the ground at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in August and early September for MRO work, following roughly 8,000 flight hours accumulated after its last D Check, typically performed when an aircraft reaches 30 years of service.
The crash is considered one of the most serious incidents at Hong Kong International Airport since it opened in 1998, and investigators are now working to determine whether it was caused by a technical malfunction, crew error, or a combination of factors.
