A tragic accident occurred at Hong Kong International Airport in the early hours of Monday (20 October). The Boeing 747 cargo plane of Emirates Airline lost control during landing and slid off the runway and fell straight into the sea. While landing, the plane collided with a ground crew vehicle, after which the accident occurred.

According to local police, two people have died in the accident, one of whom is said to be an airport employee. At the same time, the four crew members present in the plane were taken out safely and have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The accident occurred around 3:50 am, when there were strong winds and bad weather in the area.

The plane fell into the water with a loud bang

Eyewitnesses said that as soon as the plane landed on the runway, it collided with a patrolling vehicle parked there. The collision was so strong that the vehicle fell into the sea and within a few moments the plane also crossed the runway and fell into the water.

The speed at the time of landing was 90 kilometers per hour

According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, the speed of the plane at the time of collision was about 49 knots i.e. about 90 kilometers per hour. In the pictures released by AirNavRadar, the rear part of the plane is seen completely missing, while the rest part is seen half submerged in water.

Hong Kong Airport Incident! Early today (20th), a cargo flight from Dubai to Hong Kong collided with a ground support vehicle and plunged into the sea, resulting in the deaths of two people—the passenger and driver of the ground. support vehicle. #HongKong #PlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/zrSiGYErvX

— Bruce Lee (@sxrbggpp) October 20, 2025

The plane was 32 years old

This aircraft was about 32 years old and was being operated by Turkish cargo company AirACT for Emirates. This cargo flight took off from Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport and had no passengers, only four crew members.

Runway closed, rescue operations underway

Immediately after the accident, the Hong Kong Airport Authority started emergency rescue operations. Fire brigade and rescue teams pulled out the crew trapped in water. Due to security reasons, the northern runway of the airport is currently closed.

Most serious accident in 27 years

This is considered to be one of the most horrific incidents in the 27-year history of Hong Kong International Airport. Earlier in 1999, a China Airlines flight overturned during a typhoon, in which three people died. This time the accident is also similar to the Kai Tak Airport accident of 1993, when a Boeing 747 crossed the runway and fell into the sea.

Black box recovered, investigation started

The airport administration and the Hong Kong Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have started investigating the accident. According to officials, the black box of the aircraft has been recovered and through technical investigation it will be found out what was the real reason for the collision and loss of control. No official statement has been issued yet by Emirates and AirACT on this accident.

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The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has recently written a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation demanding immediate stoppage of flights of all Air India’s Boeing 787 aircraft in view of technical faults and maintenance related problems. Citing the main reason behind this step, the Pilot Association said that due to continuous technical problems and weakness in maintenance of Air India aircraft, DGCA has recently started a special audit.

According to FIP, several serious technical malfunctions have been reported on B-787 aircraft in recent months. These incidents have not only raised questions on aviation safety, but also posed serious risks to passengers and pilots. The pilots’ association has urged the DGCA to conduct a detailed and thorough inspection of the electrical systems of all Boeing 787 aircraft operated in India.

Details of recent events

4 October 2025: The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) suddenly became active during landing in Air India flight AI-117 going from Amritsar to Birmingham. This incident happened in the last leg of the flight. However, upon investigation the crew found that all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport. After this the plane was temporarily stopped for investigation.

9 October 2025: Air India flight AI-154 coming from Vienna, Austria to New Delhi had to be diverted to Dubai due to a possible technical fault. After investigation, the plane took off again from Dubai at 8:45 am (Indian time) and reached New Delhi safely.

According to the pilots association, in both these incidents, the autopilot system suddenly failed, due to which many technical glitches were revealed. Affected systems included the autopilot, instrument landing system (ILS), flight directors (FDs), and flight control systems, which disrupted the aircraft’s autolanding capability.

mention of old events

FIP also drew the government’s attention to the Air India plane crash that took place in Ahmedabad on June 12. The organization says that technical faults occurring in B-787 aircraft in the country are not being investigated in depth, due to which air safety is being compromised.

The pilots association said that ever since the maintenance of Air India aircraft has gone into the hands of new engineers, such incidents have increased. Earlier, when AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Limited) was handling the maintenance work, such technical problems were rarely seen.

Three main demands of FIP

• Intensive Investigation: A thorough and impartial investigation into the recent incidents at AI-117 and AI-154.
• Stopping flights: All B-787 aircraft of Air India should be temporarily grounded and a detailed investigation should be carried out for recurring technical problems including electrical systems.
• Special Audit: A special audit should be conducted by senior officials of DGCA, which should include investigation of MEL (Minimum Equipment List) release and recurring technical glitches, especially in Boeing-787 aircraft.

Air India statement

Tata Group-owned Air India has completely rejected claims of recent technical glitches. The company said that the opening of the RAT in AI-117 on October 4 was ‘uncommanded’, and there was no threat to the aircraft or passengers. All electrical and hydraulic systems were normal and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport. After this the aircraft was temporarily stopped for investigation and after completion of the investigation it took off again on 5 October.

Air India also clarified that the safety of passengers and crew is always their top priority. The airline said that the opening of the RAT was not due to any technical fault or pilot error and this has been seen in other airlines before.

What do the experts say?

According to experts, the ever-increasing technical faults in B-787 aircraft are posing a serious safety risk. If these are not checked and stopped in time, it can have a major impact on air safety.

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The flight of Delta Airlines going from Los Angeles to Atlanta had to make an emergency landing on Friday (July 18, 2025) due to engine fire soon after flying on DL446. The incident occurred at Los Angeles International Airport (Lax). This flight was a 767–400 aircraft.

In the video revealed on social media, it was shown that during the flight, flames were coming out of its left engine. However, there was no harm to a passenger or crew member. Firefighters reached on time and controlled the fire. The engine failed as soon as the flight started. The pilot immediately announced the emergency and turned the aircraft back towards the airport. Air traffic control also helped immediately and emergency services were alerted.

pic.twitter.com/usy6jagwld
Boeing 787 Makes Emergency Landing in La – Engine on Fire #DreamLiner https://t.co/gqyo0dvjl3

– Brown  Boy (@brownboy5202) July 19, 2025

According to Flatradar 24, the aircraft first moved towards the Pacific Ocean, then returned to the airport, circling over Downey and Paramount. During this time, the pilot and the crew completed all the necessary investigations and prepared for safe landing. According to the passengers, the flight captain announced that the fire team is confirming the fire in the engine. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The US aviation agency (FAA) has started investigation.

The aircraft is about 25 years old and has two CF6 engines of General Electric Company. Delta Airlines reported that shortly after flying, there was a sign of problems in the left engine, due to which the flight had to return.

It is worth noting that earlier in April, there was a fire at Orlando Airport in another flight of Delta. The A330 aircraft was then preparing to fly to Atlanta, with 282 passengers and 12 crew members. No one was injured even in that accident.

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