Turkish cargo plane crash in Hong Kong: 2 people lost their lives

A cargo plane landing at Hong Kong International Airport veered off the runway and drifted into the sea. In a statement made by the airport operator, it was reported that the accident occurred at 03:50 local time in the early morning.

It was announced that the four crew members on board the plane were rescued alive, but two workers in the ground vehicle, which the plane is believed to have struck, lost their lives. It was stated that the health condition of the four rescued individuals is good and they have no visible injuries.

"IT WAS THE PLANE, NOT THE VEHICLE, THAT COLLIDED"

According to an Associated Press report, airport official Steven Yiu stated at a press conference that the pilots did not make any distress calls before landing. Yiu said that the plane proceeded halfway down the runway before veering to the left and losing control.

The official stated, "The patrol car definitely did not enter the runway. It was the plane that veered off the runway and hit the patrol vehicle outside the fence."

Fire crews arriving at the scene stated that the plane was floating in the sea, split in two, and that the four crew members were waiting to be rescued at an open door.

"WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE"

Following the accident, the airport's north runway was temporarily closed, while it was announced that the south and center runways continued operations.

Steven Yiu stated that the accident would not affect flight traffic and that weather conditions were favorable at the time of the incident.

The Air Accident Investigation Authority reported that the incident has been classified as an "accident" and that flight systems, operational processes, and maintenance records will be examined in detail. It was also noted that the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are being searched for.

LEASED FROM TURKISH COMPANY ACT

In a statement from Emirates Airlines, it was stated that the Boeing 747 involved in the accident, flight number EK9788, was leased from the Turkish company ACT Airlines.

The statement said, "It has been confirmed that all crew members are safe and there was no cargo on the plane."

ACT Airlines, which provides additional cargo capacity to major airlines, has not yet made an official statement regarding the accident.

According to FlightRadar24 data, it was determined that the plane involved in the accident was 32 years old and had been converted to cargo transport after previously serving as a passenger plane.

A RARE ACCIDENT IN HONG KONG

CNN International reported that although Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world's busiest air traffic hubs, fatal accidents are extremely rare.

In an accident that occurred in 1999, one year after the airport opened, two people lost their lives and approximately 200 people were injured when a China Airlines plane landed upside down during a typhoon.

News Source: 12punto