An Emirates shuttle plane landed in the sea when it skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport and landed in the sea early Monday, resulting in to kill two ground personnel.

Specifically, Emirates flight EK9788 arrived from Dubai at approximately 03:50 local time when it exited the runway collided with an airport patrol car and ended up in the sea.

The two passengers in the patrol car were killed, while the four crew members aboard the plane survived the crash.

Authorities have launched an investigation as questions remain about the path the plane took when it landed.

Airport officials said they gave the correct instructions to the shuttle plane and that there are signs on the runway to guide the planes.

The airport’s executive director of operations, Stephen Yu, said the patrol car at the time was traveling on a road outside the runway fence “at a safe distance from the runway”.

Aircraft

The plane then veered off the runway. It then crashed through the fence and collided with the vehicle which also ended up in the sea according to Mr Yu.

“Normally the plane should not have turned towards the sea,” Mr Yu told a news conference hours after the incident, adding that the plane did not emit a distress signal when landing.

Divers managed to locate the bodies of the passengers of the patrol vehicle in the sea. They are a 30-year-old and a 41-year-old who had years of experience, according to officials.

Aircraft

In a statement to the BBC, an Emirates spokesman said the plane “was damaged on landing in Hong Kong”, adding: “The crew is confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo on board”.

It also reported that the Boeing 747-481 transport aircraft was fully leased from and operated by the Turkish airline Act Airlines.

The four crew members on board the plane broke down the emergency doors of the aircraft shortly after the crash. They were located by fire service personnel who reached the spot within two minutes and were rescued.

The photos show that the plane was broken in half, with a part of the fuselage submerged in water while also bearing large visible cracks. At least one emergency slide was used successfully.

A police officer told the media that criminal investigations would not be ruled out.

An official from Hong Kong’s Air Accidents Investigation Authority (AAIA) said they were still trying to locate the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder – also known as black boxes – from the sea.

The affected runway will remain closed for the rest of the day, but the airport’s other two runways are still operating.

At least 11 cargo flights originally scheduled to arrive at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday were canceled, according to the Airport Authority’s website.

It is one of the deadliest air accidents in Hong Kong in years as the city’s international airport has a very good safety record.