Hong Kong Runway Set to Reopen After Cargo Plane Crash

Hong Kong authorities announced plans to reopen the runway where a cargo aircraft crashed on March 11, 2024. The runway will remain out of regular service until all wreckage has been cleared. The incident involved a Boeing 747 operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines, which skidded off the runway after landing and collided with a patrol car, resulting in the deaths of two workers.

The accident occurred during the early hours of Monday, when the aircraft from Dubai lost control upon landing. Fortunately, the four crew members onboard were reported to have no apparent injuries. Following the crash, repairs to the runway and damaged fencing have been completed, according to Steven Yiu, the airport authority’s executive director for airport operations.

Investigators have begun collecting initial evidence from the scene, but the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have yet to be recovered. Authorities aim to place the runway in standby status by noon on Tuesday, allowing for landings but excluding it from regular flight schedules.

Yiu stated that the runway will remain in standby mode until the wreckage is fully cleared from the adjacent sea. The airport is in discussions with barge companies to facilitate this clearance; however, operations are on hold due to the impact of Tropical Storm Fengshen on the region. Yiu mentioned that the airport intends to complete the wreckage removal and related work within a week, contingent on weather conditions.

As investigations continue, authorities will further analyze both weather and runway conditions, which were reported to have met safety standards at the time of the incident. The investigation will also explore mechanical and human factors that may have contributed to the crash.

This incident marks the second fatal accident for ACT Airlines. In 2017, another Boeing 747 operated by the airline crashed while preparing to land in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, resulting in fatalities among both crew members and people on the ground. A subsequent report attributed that crash to the flight crew’s misjudgment during poor weather conditions, revealing fatigue and communication issues with air traffic control prior to the incident.

The ongoing investigations and the necessary preparations for reopening the runway underscore the complexities involved in ensuring aviation safety in the wake of such tragedies.