A tragic accident occurred early Monday morning at Hong Kong International Airport when an Emirates SkyCargo flight, operated by Turkish carrier Air ACT, veered off the runway during its landing roll and collided with an airport service vehicle before plunging into the waters off the runway’s edge. The incident resulted in the deaths of two ground staff members and left several others injured.
According to preliminary reports from Hong Kong aviation authorities, the cargo flight—identified as EK-9754—had arrived from Dubai and was attempting to land amid light rain and variable crosswinds at approximately 6:20 a.m. local time. Witnesses reported seeing the Boeing 747-400F touch down hard before swerving to the left side of Runway 25R. Moments later, the aircraft struck a maintenance vehicle positioned near a taxiway intersection, tearing off part of its left landing gear and wing section. The massive freighter then skidded off the tarmac and came to rest partially submerged in shallow coastal waters adjacent to the airport perimeter.
Emergency services responded within minutes, with firefighters, paramedics, and airport rescue units working to contain fuel leakage and assist the crew. All four flight crew members on board managed to evacuate safely through the cockpit hatch and were taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries and observation. Unfortunately, two airport ground staff in the struck vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third was seriously injured and remains in critical condition.
Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department (CAD) confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident. Early indications suggest that the aircraft may have experienced a braking or directional control failure upon landing. However, officials emphasized that it is too early to draw conclusions. The airport’s south runway was temporarily closed following the incident, leading to significant delays and diversions of both passenger and cargo flights.
In a brief statement, Emirates expressed its condolences to the victims’ families and said it is cooperating fully with local authorities and Air ACT in the investigation. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life resulting from this accident involving our partner carrier,” the airline said. “Safety remains our highest priority, and we are offering full support to all affected parties.”
Air ACT, based in Istanbul and operating cargo services on behalf of Emirates SkyCargo, also issued a statement acknowledging the incident and pledging transparency in the ongoing probe.
As images of the damaged aircraft circulated on social media, they showed the front fuselage partially submerged and rescue personnel surrounding the wreckage. Airport operations have since resumed on a limited scale, though cleanup and recovery efforts are expected to take several days.
This is the first major runway accident at Hong Kong International Airport in more than a decade, and it has reignited discussions about ground safety protocols and aircraft handling during challenging weather conditions. A full investigation by the CAD and the National Transportation Safety Board (representing the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing) is underway.
