More recently a tragic incident occurred at Hong Kong International Airport. An Emirates Boeing 747 freighter overrunning the north runway and crashing into the sea, killing two airport workers. The aircraft, which was operating as flight EK9788, had been wet leased by Emirates from ACT Airlines. Fortunately, none of the dangerous cargo was aboard during the accident.
Emirates is arguably the world’s best-known long-haul carrier, and for good reason. It’s based at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport by international passenger traffic. The Boeing 747 that crashed was 32 years old. It had been doing a tremendous job extending the airline’s operational capabilities right up to the point it met that sad fate.
The accident happened on HKIA’s north runway. This airport would be distinctively placed on land that had been reclaimed, formed by joining together two smaller islands to the north of Lantau Island. The northern runway is located a mere few hundred meters from the water’s edge. As a result of this strategic location, it is particularly exposed to and at risk from aircraft crashes.
According to eyewitness reports, the crash happened on a clear weather day. After striking the water, the aircraft is said to have broken in two and become partially submerged. Gonzalez said authorities are currently conducting a full investigation into the crash. They are looking to identify what played a part in this preventable tragedy.
In a statement later, Hong Kong Airport Authority’s spokesperson Steven Yiu cleared the air regarding the incident stating that foreign domestic helper’s contract.
“The patrol car absolutely did not rush onto the runway. It was the plane that went off the runway and crashed into the patrol car outside the fence.” – Steven Yiu
This statement underscored the lack of clarity from the outset about what transpired in the minutes leading up to the crash. The inquiry aims to determine what caused the plane to go out of control. It seeks to figure out why it went off the runway in the first place.
Emergency response teams were soon on the scene, working immediately to recover those affected and stabilize the site. The tragic loss of life has cast a pall over the usually bustling mood at Hong Kong International Airport. This airport typically accommodates around 30 million passengers annually.
Investigations continue. Both Emirates and ACT Airlines are committed to fully cooperating with local authorities to address safety-related issues and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. The aviation community is closely monitoring the outcome of this case. Changes from these updates, along with an increased scrutiny of operational protocols for older aircraft, have helped to address this issue.
