The serene skies over Hong Kong International Airport turned somber early Monday, October 20, 2025, after a cargo plane veered dramatically off the runway during its landing. The Boeing aircraft tragically struck a security patrol car before plunging into the surrounding sea, an incident that has left two men in the vehicle dead, according to official reports.
Investigators are now working tirelessly to understand exactly what caused the massive aircraft to deviate from the tarmac. This airport, renowned as the world’s busiest for cargo last year, is now the scene of one of its most severe incidents since operations began in 1998.
Witnesses saw the plane’s partially submerged fuselage listing in the seawater that borders the airport, its emergency evacuation slides starkly deployed. This harrowing sight underscores the severity of the morning’s events.
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations, confirmed that the cargo plane, arriving from Dubai, departed the north runway around 4 a.m. local time (20:00 GMT Sunday), crashing through the perimeter fence and into the sea.
Yiu clarified that the patrol car was not on the active runway, but rather “it was the aircraft that veered off the runway to hit the patrol car, which was outside the fence,” forcing it into the water.
A 30-year-old man from the patrol car was pronounced dead at the scene, while his 41-year-old colleague tragically passed away after being rushed to the hospital. Both victims were recovered by divers from their sunken vehicle, approximately five meters from the shoreline.
Emirates Airlines, the charterer of the flight, confirmed that the plane’s crew were safe and that no cargo was on board at the time of the incident. The aircraft was operating under a temporary “wet” lease from Act Airlines, based in Istanbul.
Hong Kong’s airport is a vital global hub, having processed 4.9 million tonnes of cargo in 2024, topping Airports Council International (ACI) World’s rankings for busiest cargo airports. The accident occurred on the airport’s newest northern runway, part of a HK$142 billion ($18 billion) expansion project completed just last year.
An AFP reporter at the scene described the cargo plane’s visibly cracked fuselage floating on the water, its green tail section completely torn away.
Police patrol boats circled the wreckage as authorities utilized cranes and tow trucks to search for the crucial “black box” recorders. These devices are expected to provide invaluable data that could explain the sequence of events leading to the crash. Yiu stated confidently that “weather and runway conditions were safe and meet all conditions for runway operation” at the time.
A diagram released by officials illustrated the plane’s abrupt left turn midway down the runway. Furthermore, authorities noted that the aircraft did not transmit an emergency signal and failed to respond to radio communications from the airport.
The north runway was temporarily closed following the incident, though the airport’s other two runways remained fully operational, and officials anticipate no long-term impact on overall airport operations.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau has expressed deep concern, confirming that the Air Accident Investigation Authority will “actively investigate the cause of the accident.” Police also indicated that a criminal investigation has not been ruled out.