Cargo plane skids off Hong Kong runway, killing two airport workers

The Boeing 747, arriving from Dubai under lease to Emirates, veered off the runway shortly after landing at around 3:50 a.m., before both the aircraft and the car plunged into the sea. The plane’s four crew members were rescued unharmed.

According to airport officials, the aircraft had taxied about halfway down the runway before veering left and colliding with the patrol vehicle positioned outside the safety fence. Emergency crews arrived to find the aircraft broken into two sections and partially submerged just off the airport’s sea wall. Divers located the two victims trapped in the submerged car after a 40-minute search. Footage from the scene showed the aircraft’s cockpit and front fuselage visible above the waterline, with rescue boats stationed nearby.

The incident took place on the airport’s north runway, which remains closed while investigations continue. Authorities confirmed that other flight operations were unaffected and that weather conditions at the time were suitable for landing. Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority has classified the event as an accident and is examining possible causes, including the aircraft’s systems, operations and maintenance history. The 32-year-old Boeing 747 was operating without cargo at the time of the crash.