Emirates Flight EK9788 Crashes, Two Security Staff Dead in Hong Kong

A cargo aircraft operated by ACT Airlines (9T) on behalf of Emirates SkyCargo (EK) skidded off the north runway of Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) early Monday morning, colliding with an airport patrol vehicle before both vehicles plunged into the sea. Two airport security personnel in the vehicle were killed in the accident, while all four crew members aboard the Boeing 747-400 freighter survived without serious injuries.

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The accident occurred around 3:50 a.m. local time as flight EK9788, arriving from Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Dubai, completed its landing rollout. The aircraft reportedly maintained a normal approach and touchdown before veering left halfway down the runway, breaching the airport perimeter fence and striking the stationary patrol car.

Detail	Information
Accident Sequence	Aircraft landed normally, veered off the runway, broke through the airport fence, and collided with a patrol car outside the runway before entering the sea
Casualties	Two airport security staff (aged 30 and 41) killed in the patrol car
Crew Status	Four crew members rescued and taken to hospital; all safe
Cargo Status	No cargo onboard at the time of the incident
Weather Conditions	Reported as fine; visibility and wind within operational limits
Distress Signal	None transmitted before landing, according to Hong Kong officials
Aircraft Damage	Fuselage broke in half after veering into the sea

EK9788 Accident Sequence and Immediate Response

Flight tracking data suggests that for the past week, the Flight EK9788 was being operated from Al Maktoum International Airport [which according to the Irish Independent, is “the sheikhdom’s second airport where it plans a $35 billion improvement over the coming decade“] to Hong Kong International Airport and had a flight time of approximately seven hours. Here are the details of its past few flights, as reported by Flight Aware:

Date	Departure (Local Time)	Arrival (Local Time)	Departure Airport	Arrival Airport	Aircraft	Duration
Sunday, 19-Oct-2025	05:00 PM (+04)	03:51 AM HKT (+1)	Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)	Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)	B744	6h 51m
Friday, 17-Oct-2025	05:08 PM (+04)	04:09 AM HKT (+1)	Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)	Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)	B744	7h 01m
Sunday, 12-Oct-2025	05:54 PM (+04)	05:01 AM HKT (+1)	Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)	Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)	B744	7h 07m
Friday, 10-Oct-2025	05:02 PM (+04)	04:13 AM HKT (+1)	Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)	Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)	B744	7h 11m

The 32-year-old Boeing 747-481(BDSF), registered TC-ACF, involved in this accident came to rest in shallow waters just off the airport’s northern seawall.

The freighter broke into two major sections, with its forward fuselage and cockpit remaining above the surface while the tail section submerged, as can be seen in the picture below:

Emergency teams arrived within minutes and began search and rescue operations under limited visibility. The four-flight crew were rescued from the aircraft’s upper deck without injury. Divers later recovered the bodies of the two ground workers after a 40-minute underwater search.

The north runway was immediately closed, according to the words of the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) spokesperson quoted in The Mirror:

“Air traffic control personnel immediately notified the Airport Authority and other rescue units according to the established procedures. Preliminary information indicates that the four crew members on board were rescued and sent to hospital, while two ground staff were affected and fell into the sea, and their conditions are pending confirmation. The North Runway is closed due to the accident, while the South and Centre Runways will remain operational.”

Hong Kong International Airport’s two remaining runways continued operations, limiting the overall disruption to passenger and cargo flights. Airport officials stated that weather conditions at the time were stable, with visibility and crosswinds within operational limits.

EK9788 crash: Aircraft and Operator Profile

ACT Airlines (AirACT)

Emirates confirmed that the Boeing 747-400F was operating as a wet-leased aircraft under its cargo division, with no freight onboard during the flight. The airline added that all four crew members were safe and cooperating with local authorities.

The jet served ANA for nearly 17 years, ending its tenure with the carrier in February 2010, according to ch-aviation (quoted in Simple Flying). Here’s a timeline showing the aircraft’s fate

• Between 1999 and 2006, the aircraft featured a Pokémon-themed livery, as noted by Planespotters.net.

• After being withdrawn from ANA service, the plane was stored in Xiamen and later in Tel Aviv.

• While in Tel Aviv, it underwent conversion from a passenger aircraft to a cargo freighter.

• Following its conversion, the jet was ferried to Istanbul in August 2011, where it joined Air ACT’s fleet under the registration TC-ACF.

EK9799 crashed in Hong Kong International Airport, an aerodrome that was built on reclaimed land by merging two smaller islands: The northern edge of the north runway, which was closed following the crash, lies within a few hundred meters (yards) from the water.

Aircraft Details – Boeing 747-481(BDSF) TC-ACF

Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations at the Airport Authority Hong Kong, clarified that the patrol car had been positioned outside the active runway area, stating that “it was the aircraft that went off the runway and crashed into the patrol car outside the fence.”

Regulatory Framework and Applicable Law for EK9788

Under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Annex 13 protocols, the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) of Hong Kong has classified the event as an “accident”, which is wholly different from an “incident”:

Aspect	Accident	Incident
Definition	The most severe classification for an event involving one or more aircraft in which something goes wrong.	An occurrence, other than an accident, associated with aircraft operation that affects or could affect flight safety.
Timeframe of Occurrence	From the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until all have disembarked and the engines or propellers have come to rest.	During any stage of aircraft operation.
Key Characteristics	– Results in fatalities or serious injuries to persons on board or nearby. – Causes significant aircraft damage compromising structural integrity or requiring major repair. – Aircraft goes missing or becomes completely inaccessible.	– Less severe than an accident. – May involve system malfunctions, operational errors, or near misses. – Does not result in fatalities or serious damage.
Examples / Consequences	– Fatal crash on takeoff or landing. – Jet blast injury to ground personnel. – Aircraft destroyed or written off.	– Bird strike without damage. – Temporary loss of communication. – Runway incursion without collision.

The investigation will focus on factors such as:

• Aircraft flight’s system
• Aircraft operation
• Maintenance

These factors are being looked into as the weather conditions in HKG airport are highly unlikely to have caused the accident. Investigators will now look into the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder to learn more about the accident, and the following systems will be of main focus:

• The aircraft’s braking systems
• Directional control
• Potential maintenance or component-wear issues

Similar Incidents as EK9788

This crash is the second fatal one for ACT Airlines. The first of these crashed in 2017. According to AP News, it was a Boeing 747 flown by ACT Airlines under the name MyCargo, which “crashed as it prepared to land in fog in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, killing all four crew on board and 35 people on the ground“, as it was from Hong Kong on behalf of Turkish Airlines. Let’s have a look at a few incidents/ accidents in HKG.

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