The Boeing 747 cargo plane crash that occurred on Monday morning at Hong Kong International Airport claimed the lives of two security officers. Following the tragic incident, in which the aircraft plunged into the sea, aviation expert and former commercial pilot Captain Byron Bailey shared a striking assessment of the possible causes of the accident.
The cargo plane, which had arrived from Dubai and was operated by a Turkish company on behalf of Emirates, struck a ground vehicle on the runway during landing and skidded into the sea. While all four crew members survived the crash, two airport security personnel lost their lives. Footage from the scene shows that the aircraft’s tail section had detached and its fuselage was partially submerged in water.
“No Decision Point During Landing”
Captain Byron Bailey told Sky News:
“A cargo aircraft of this size lands at around 270 kilometres per hour. At that point, you have no option to abort the landing. Once the brakes, reverse thrust, and lift-dumping systems are activated, you’re committed — there’s nothing more you can do.”
Bailey suggested that the crash may have occurred not in the middle of the runway, but as the aircraft was decelerating near the end of it, stating:
“When you’re controlling the front landing gear steering with your left hand, they may have lost control during the nose wheel phase. Perhaps crosswinds, fatigue, or even a tyre burst came into play.”
“Night Operations Challenge the Crew”
The experienced pilot emphasised that night-time cargo operations push both aircraft and crews to their limits:
“These types of flights are typically carried out at maximum landing weight. That puts a lot of stress on the braking systems. Maybe a tyre burst occurred. The real cause will be revealed once the investigation concludes.”
Bailey also noted that the fact that Hong Kong Airport was built on a reclaimed island may have prevented an even greater catastrophe:
“Falling into the sea is far less dangerous than hitting buildings. In that sense, it was an unfortunate but controlled accident.”
Investigation Continues
The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department announced that the case has been referred to the Air Accident Investigation Authority and that it will support the technical analysis process.
According to FlightRadar24 data, the 32-year-old Boeing 747 involved in the crash was originally built as a passenger aircraft before being converted into a freighter.
