2 killed after plane plunges into sea in Hong Kong
What's the story
A Turkish cargo plane skidded off the runway and ended up partially submerged in the sea at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday. The incident occurred around 3:50am local time (1950 GMT Sunday) when a Boeing 747 freighter operated by AirACT skidded off the northern runway during landing. The aircraft was flying under an Emirates flight number from Dubai to Hong Kong.
Crash details
Plane left partially submerged in waters
The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) confirmed that the plane skidded off the northern runway and was left partially submerged in waters near the airport perimeter. The authority has since closed the northern runway but said, "The south and central runways remain in operation." Rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident, with four crew members and one ground staff member being rescued.
Twitter Post
4 crew members on board were rescued
‼️Sortie de piste d’un Boeing 747 Cargo à Hong Kong
— Aero Gazette ✈️ (@AeroGazette) October 20, 2025
🔸L’appareil de la compagnie turque Air Act opérait un vol depuis Dubaï pour le compte d’Emirates
🔸Le Boeing était à l’atterrissage piste 07L, quand il a fait une sortie latérale de piste et a terminé sa course dans la mer… pic.twitter.com/1LRFBnzv24
Ongoing investigation
Two men in ground vehicle killed
The South China Morning Post reported that two men in a ground vehicle were killed during the incident. Their identities have not been disclosed yet. Emirates confirmed that flight EK9788 was a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from ACT Airlines and operated by them. There were no indications of a fire after the plane came to rest in shallow waters near the airport's western seawall. The Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong is conducting an investigation into the crash.