Boeing 747 Hong Kong Runway Excursion - What we know so far
- Av Geek Blog
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
On 20 October 2025, an airACT Boeing 747 freighter veered off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, striking a security vehicle, pushing it into the sea and killing both occupants. The 747 went through the airport preliminary fence into the sea. The 4 crew members were able to evacuate safely but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
The preliminary report has been released and in this blog post, I will take a look at what we know so far based on the preliminary report.
Please note that this information is preliminary and subject to change.
Brief Summary
Date: 20 October 2025
Time: 03:52 local time
Flight: UAE9788
Airline: ACT Airlines (operating on behalf of Emirates Sky Cargo)
Aircraft type: Boeing 747 - 400 Freighter
Aircraft registration: TC-ACF
Departure: Dubai World Central International Airport (DWC/OMDW)
Arrival: Hong Kong International Airport (HKG/VHHH)
Accident: Runway excursion
What happened - from the preliminary report
The preliminary report gives an insight into the facts of the accident.
Please note that this information is preliminary and subject to change.
All times are in local time unless otherwise stated.
At approximately 03:52 hours on 20 October 2025, an ACT Airlines Boeing 747-481 BDSF (BEDEK Special Freighter) freighter aircraft operated on behalf of Emirates Sky Cargo landed on Runway 07L at Hong Kong International Airport. The aircraft was not carrying any cargo.
The co-pilot was the Pilot Flying while the Captain was the Pilot Monitoring.
After landing, when the aircraft was decelerating, an AUTOBRAKES message appeared in the Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) display in the cockpit. The Captain then took over control of the aircraft from the co-pilot.
The aircraft veered off to the left, resulting in a runway excursion at taxiway C6. The aircraft collided with a stationary security ground vehicle positioned in a designated observation point along the airport's perimeter road. The impact resulted in the ground vehicle entering the sea. The aircraft continued through the airport's perimeter fence and entered the sea where it came to rest.
In the course of the runway excursion, the aircraft destroyed various airport meteorological sensor arrays, signage, the ground vehicle and a section of the perimeter fence.
The preliminary report states that the aircraft was destroyed. The tail section separated from the aircraft during the impact sequence.
All 4 crew members in the aircraft survived the accident but the two security staff in the ground vehicle were killed.
At the time of the accident the weather conditions were suitable for aircraft operation. Visibility was 10km or more. The preliminary report states that all relevant communications, navigation and surveillance and air traffic control equipment were operating normally. Before the accident there was no report of foreign objects on the runway, and communication between ATC and the accident aircraft was normal.
The preliminary report states that investigators have retrieved the Electronic Engine Control Units (EECU), Quick Access Recorder (QAR), Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) for laboratory analysis. Investigators have also interviewed the flight crew.
The preliminary report states that investigators have established:
The aircraft was dispatched with minimum equipment list items which included:
A hydraulic system 1 reservoir cockpit indication issue which was resolved by maintenance staff prior to the first departure of the day
Number 4 engine thrust reverser inoperative
The preliminary report states that after departure the flight was normal up to the runway excursion. An autobrakes 2 and flaps 25 landing was planned. After completing a transition to the ILS of Runway 07L, the aircraft was cleared to land by ATC. ATC advised that the wind direction was 030 degrees, 18 knots and instructed the crew to keep their speed up after landing until vacating the runway. After touchdown the speed brake lever was extended with the appropriate crew call.
The following data is from the FDR:
03:52:30 - Number 4 engine accelerated to 90% N1 forward thrust.
03:52:35 - All selected thrust reversers were stowed.
03:52:36 - Number 4 engine continued to accelerate to approximately 106% N1 forward thrust.
03:52:42 - Number 4 engine reached 107% N1.
03:52:41 - Reverse thrust of approximately 92% N1 was selected on Number 2 engine. Number 1 and Number 3 engine thrust reversers were also deployed reaching reverse thrust of approximately 83% N1 and 91% N1 respectively. These thrust reverser selections occurred after the aircraft had already veered off the runway.
The report states that an examination of the flight deck showed that:
The autobrake selector was indicated disarmed.
The speed brake lever was in the flight detent position.
Number 1, 2 and 3 engine thrust levers were closed with reverse thrust levers selected to maximum.
Number 4 engine reverse thrust lever was fully forward.
The fuel control switches were selected to run.
The preliminary report states that investigators will continue to collect and analyze data with particular focus on the following issues:
Technical issues related to the aircraft systems and performance, including the aircraft's speed, system status and operational control at the time of the accident, as well as the conditions and performance of the engines, the forward movement of the Number 4 engine thrust lever, the landing gears and the brake systems.
Engineering issues and maintenance records of the aircraft systems.
Other issues including but not limited to: human factors and safety management system issues.
The preliminary report states that the results of this analysis will enable the investigators to determine the circumstances, causes and contributing factors of this accident.
Crew details
The pilot in command had an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) with a total flight time on all aircraft types of approximately 6,096 hours. The pilot had approximately 4,840 hours on the aircraft type with around 417 hours in command of the type.
Aircraft details
The aircraft was a Boeing 747-400 Freighter. The aircraft was manufactured in 1993 and delivered to ANA. After its retirement, it was converted to a freighter aircraft in 2011 and delivered to Air ACT in 2013. The aircraft's four engines were GE CF6-80C2B1F turbofan engines.
About Air ACT
Air ACT (ACT Airlines) is a cargo and passenger charter airlines based in Istanbul. The company was established in 2004. Data from FlightRadar24 shows that the airline has 1 aircraft in its fleet: a Boeing 747-400. This aircraft has registration TC-ACG and is 33 years old.
About the Boeing 747
The Boeing 747, often called the 'Queen of the Sky' is an iconic aircraft that has both passenger and cargo variants. The first Boeing 747 took flight in 1969. Unfortunately, the Boeing 747 is no longer produced and few passenger airlines still fly the type. This is a result of Covid where many airlines grounded older, inefficient aircraft as well as the development of more fuel efficient twin engine aircraft.
Read about the Boeing 747 is our blog post here: https://www.avgeekblog.co.uk/post/the-boeing-747
The preliminary report has given us an insight into what happened but it will likely be some time before a final report will be produced as investigators work to determine the cause of this crash.
The link to the preliminary report is available below if you would like too read it for yourself. Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below, on the discussion page or on social media.
Further Reading*
AAIA Preliminary Report
*If you would like information added or removed from this section, please contact me.
Thank you for reading.
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Date published: 30 April 2026