Main wreckage recovered from sea after cargo plane crash

The main wreckage of the aircraft was removed on Sunday. Picture: Vernon Yuen/AP

The main wreckage of a cargo plane that veered off a Hong Kong runway and plunged into the sea has been recovered.

The Boeing 747, flown by Turkey-based ACT Airlines from Dubai, skidded after landing last Monday and collided with a patrol car, sending both vehicles into the water. Two workers in the car were killed, while the four crew members on the plane were unhurt.

A salvage vessel lifted the front part of the fuselage from the water on Sunday, adjusting its position in the air. Before the salvage operation, experts had conducted an underwater sonar survey, and the runway where the crashed occurred was temporarily closed.

The aircraft skidded upon landing last Monday, hit a patrol vehicle and both vehicles then plunged into the sea (Vernon Yuen/AP)

The aircraft’s tail and other parts were lifted from the water on Friday, as well as the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. The devices were sent to a laboratory for preliminary examination, a government statement said.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash. The aircraft was operated under lease by Emirates, a long-haul carrier based in Dubai.

Representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Turkey’s Transport Safety Investigation Centre, alongside experts from Boeing, are also part of the investigation. The city’s air accident investigation authority said it would release a preliminary report within one month.

Steven Yiu, the airport authority’s executive director for airport operations, earlier said weather and runway conditions met standards during the crash, while mechanical and human factors were yet to be investigated.