Salvage completed after ACT Airlines accident
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has completed the recovery of the ACT Airlines Boeing 747-400F operating flight UAE9788 for Emirates SkyCargo, which veered off the North Runway into the sea on 20 October. The aircraft, arriving from Dubai, carried four crew members, all rescued safely, while two airport security officers lost their lives when their patrol car was hit.
The professional salvage team lifted the remaining parts of the aircraft, including an engine and a landing gear, out of the water on 27 October. Earlier, the fuselage and tail section had been recovered and placed on barges. All components have now been transported to a secure storage site for further investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA).
Supported by the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, the operation employed heavy-lift vessels "Nán Tiān Xiàng" and "Nán Tiān Péng". Flight operations at the world's biggest cargo airport remained largely unaffected. (ah)