Emirates cargo flight crashes into sea after veering off runway; four crew survive, two killed

Two people have died after an Emirates cargo plane veered off the runway and crashed into the sea at Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday, marking one of the city’s worst aviation disasters in years.

The Boeing 747-481 aircraft, operating under flight number EK9788 and arriving from Dubai, skidded off the runway at approximately 3:50am local time (19:50 GMT Sunday) before colliding with an airport patrol vehicle.

Authorities confirmed that both passengers in the vehicle — members of the airport’s ground operations team — were killed instantly. The four crew members aboard the plane survived and were rescued after escaping through emergency exits.

The two victims were identified as male airport staff aged 30 and 41, with seven and twelve years of experience respectively. Their bodies were later recovered from the water by divers. Hong Kong’s Transport and Logistics Bureau said it was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life and extended condolences to their families.

“This is a tragic day for Hong Kong aviation,” said Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations, at a press conference. “Our preliminary information shows the patrol car was travelling along a designated service road, at a safe distance from the runway. The vehicle did not enter the active runway at any point.”

According to Yiu, the plane unexpectedly turned away from the runway after landing, broke through fencing, and struck the patrol car before plunging into the sea. “Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” he said, noting that no distress signal was transmitted before the crash.

Emergency crews reached the scene within minutes, rescuing the aircraft’s four crew members, who had deployed emergency slides and escaped through the fuselage doors. Photographs shared on social media showed the plane broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in the water and large cracks visible across its body.

An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement to the BBC, saying: “Flight EK9788 sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong. The crew are confirmed safe, and there was no cargo onboard at the time.”

The airline clarified that the aircraft was wet leased from Turkish carrier Act Airlines, meaning the plane, crew, and insurance were supplied by the Turkish operator. Emirates added that it was cooperating fully with investigators.

The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) has launched an inquiry into the crash and is working to locate the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — commonly known as the black boxes — which are believed to have sunk near the wreckage site.

Officials have not ruled out the possibility of a criminal investigation, though the cause of the crash remains unclear. The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said the affected runway would remain closed for the rest of the day while recovery operations continue. The airport’s other two runways remain open, but at least 11 cargo flights scheduled for Monday were cancelled.

Witnesses described the incident as “surreal”, with one worker saying they heard “a thunderous noise” followed by “a massive splash” as the plane went off course.

The crash is the second fatal incident in the airport’s history since operations moved from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The previous fatal event occurred in August 1999, when a China Airlines passenger jet crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.

Aviation safety experts said it was too early to draw conclusions but noted that runway excursions — when planes veer off or overshoot the runway — are among the most common types of aviation accidents.

Hong Kong’s airport, one of the world’s busiest cargo hubs, has long maintained a reputation for exceptional safety standards. The last major non-fatal incident occurred in 2010, when a Cathay Pacific freighter overran the runway without loss of life.

As recovery teams continue work at the crash site, flags at the airport were lowered to half-mast in tribute to the victims. “Our hearts are with the families of those who lost their lives in this terrible accident,” Mr Yiu said. “We will do everything possible to understand what happened and to prevent it from ever happening again.