Emirates SkyCargo Flight 9788 was a scheduled international cargo flight operated by Air ACT for Emirates SkyCargo from Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, to Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong. On 20 October 2025, the aircraft operating the flight, a Boeing 747-400, suffered a runway excursion at Hong Kong International Airport at around 03:53 HKT (19:53 UTC). The aircraft collided with a ground vehicle and subsequently crashed into the South China Sea. The two airport security staff in the ground vehicle were killed, while all four occupants of the aircraft survived. The aircraft, which split into two pieces, was destroyed and written off.[1]
Airport Authority Hong Kong later announced runway 07L, the incident runway, was fit for use after examination. It is the first fatal aviation incident to occur at Hong Kong International Airport since China Airlines Flight 642 in 1999.[2]
Background
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was TC-ACF, a Boeing 747-481BDSF operated by Air ACT for Emirates SkyCargo. The aircraft was first delivered as a passenger plane to All Nippon Airways (ANA) on 13 June 1993 with registration JA8962, and previously bore a Pokémon special livery during its time with ANA. Following its retirement from ANA, the aircraft was converted to a freighter in 2011 and delivered to Air ACT in 2013.[3][4][5] It was one of two aircraft operated by Air ACT at the time of the accident.[6]
Flight crew
Four flight crew were onboard the flight. They are 35-year-old Captain Atilla Yilmaz, 44-year-old first officer Candemir Ulker, 35-year-old loadmaster Caner Durgut and 46-year-old aircraft maintenance engineer Muzaffer Tuydu. All of them were Turkish nationals.[7]
Ground crew
The two airport security staff killed in the collision were a 41-year-old man and a 30-year-old man.[8]
Accident
The aircraft departed Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai on 19 October 2025 at about 16:59 local time (12:59 UTC). Takeoff and cruise went uneventfully. On 20 October, at about 03:53 HKT (19 October, 19:53 UTC), the aircraft landed at Hong Kong International Airport on runway 07L. The thrust reverser for engine four was inoperative. Upon landing, thrust reversers for engines one, two and three were activated and the aircraft had decelerated to about 90 knots (170km/h; 100mph) when the number four engine spooled to 95% forward thrust, and the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway about 5,000 feet (1,500m) past the threshold.[9][10][3] During the excursion, the aircraft struck a patrol vehicle that was carrying out patrolling duty on the road outside the fenced perimeter of the runway. The aircraft came to rest in the sea with its tail section separated from the rest of the fuselage, being nearly submerged in the water with large cracks clearly visible aft of the rear pressure bulkhead.[2] The Hong Kong Fire Services Department had received notification of the incident at 03:55 HKT and began the rescue operation two minutes later.[11]
Emirates confirmed the aircraft was not carrying any cargo.[12] The ground vehicle was also dragged five metres from shore and trapped seven metres under water.[13] The aircraft did not send an emergency signal and did not respond to air traffic control.[14] According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft hit the water at about 49 knots (91km/h; 56mph). At the time of the crash, the wind speed was 4 knots (7.4km/h; 4.6mph; 2.1m/s) with gusts of up to 21 knots (39km/h; 24mph; 11m/s).[3] At least one of the aircraft's evacuation slides deployed successfully.[2]
All four crew members on the aircraft survived and were transported to a hospital. One man in the vehicle struck was killed, while a second man was sent to North Lantau Hospital where he later died.[15][16] The ground crew killed were a 41-year-old driver of the vehicle, and a 30-year-old passenger.[8] The two ground staff had seven and 12 years of experience respectively. At least 210 firefighters and first aid officers, 45 vehicles, ships and a flying service helicopter assisted in the rescue efforts.[17] The affected runway was closed, but the two other runways remained in operation.[2] 12 cargo flights were cancelled throughout the day while passenger flights were not affected.[14]
Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department said in a statement it was following up with the airline and other parties involved in the crash.[19][20] The National Transportation Safety Board said in a Twitter post that they were sending a team of five investigators to assist in the investigation.[21] Turkey's Transport Safety Investigation Center and experts from Boeing were also part of the investigation. The city's air accident investigation authority said it would release a preliminary report within one month.[22]
On 26 October, salvage crews recovered the fuselage and loaded it onto a vessel. The aircraft's tail and other parts including the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were lifted and sent to a laboratory for preliminary examination. Before the salvage operation, experts conducted an underwater sonar survey.[22]
On 18 November, the AAIA released their preliminary report on the accident. The report found that the thrust reverser on engine four was inoperative at the time of the accident. Upon landing, the flight crew received a message on the engine-indicating and crew-alerting system alerting them that the autobrakes disconnected, prompting the captain to take over control and begin manual braking. Thrust reverses for engines two and three were activated to 90% reverse thrust, while engine one's thrust reverser was selected to idle reverse thrust. 30 seconds after touchdown, engine four spooled up to 95% forward thrust, causing the airframe to swerve left. The crew then deactivated the thrust reversers to try to regain equal engine thrust. The number four engine continued to accelerate to 106% forward thrust. The aircraft then veered off the runway, and thrust reversers were again reactivated. The aircraft then struck the ground vehicle and plunged into the sea.[24]
See also
China Airlines Flight 605– 1993 runway overrun in Hong Kong; another Boeing 747-400 that went off the runway at Kai Tak Airport in similar circumstances in 1993
Turkish Airlines Flight 6491– 2017 cargo airliner crash in Kyrgyzstan; another Boeing 747-400F operated by Air ACT on behalf of Turkish Airlines
↑"阿聯酋貨機撞地勤車墜海疑點重重 港機管局：天氣及跑道適合運作"[The UAE cargo plane crashed into a ground support vehicle and plunged into the sea, raising many questions. The Hong Kong Airport Authority stated that the weather and runway conditions must have been suitable for operation.]. www.ettoday.net (in Chinese). 20 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
↑Lu-Chang, Guan (20 October 2025). "機場貨機衝落海｜最早1993年於ANA服役 身披「比卡超」翱翔天際"[Cargo plane crashes into sea at airport | First served on ANA in 1993, soaring through the skies adorned with "Pikachu"]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 22 October 2025.
↑Yuhui, Weng (20 October 2025). "機場貨機衝落海｜4機組人員均土耳其籍 包括35歲機長44歲副機長"[Cargo plane crashes into the sea near airport | All four crew members are Turkish nationals, including the 35-year-old captain and the 44-year-old first officer.]. Hong Kong 01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
12Yide, Ling (20 October 2025). "【機場貨機衝落海】有片｜兩喪命地勤分別30歲及41歲 貨機擱岸邊"[[Airport cargo plane crashes into the sea] Video | Two ground crew members killed, aged 30 and 41, were seen stranded on the shore]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
↑Zhuoying, Lai; Dehao, Ouyang (20 October 2025). "機場貨機衝落海｜兩死者機場任職7年及12年 困7米深水底救出後亡"[Cargo plane crashes into sea near airport; two deceased, who had worked at the airport for 7 and 12 years respectively, died after being rescued from 7-meter-deep water.]. Hong Kong 01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
↑Guowei, Shi; Meisong, Wu (21 October 2025). "機場貨機墮海｜黑盒位置鎖定 北跑道下午4時以「備用狀態」重開"[Cargo plane crashes into sea at airport | Black box location identified; North runway to reopen at 4 PM in "standby mode"]. Hong Kong 01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
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