Investigators probe cockpit control movement in fatal cargo plane runway crash

Aviation investigators in Hong Kong are working to determine why a cockpit control on a Boeing cargo freighter moved forward during landing last year, causing the aircraft to veer off an airport runway and kill two security personnel.

The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA), an independent body under the Transport and Logistics Bureau, provided an update on Tuesday on the fatal incident involving the Boeing freighter, owned by Turkish cargo airline ACT Airlines and operated on behalf of Emirates SkyCargo.

The aircraft veered off the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport in October 2025, crashing into a ground security vehicle parked outside the runway boundary and killing two people inside.

According to an interim statement, the AAIA said one of the key focuses of the ongoing investigation was the forward movement of an engine thrust lever, which caused the aircraft to turn left during the landing roll and veer off the runway.