Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department (CAD) is investigating a runway incident which occurred over the weekend.
According to CAD sources, a FedEx MD-11 freighter aborted landing to avoid a Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) Airbus A330-300, which was beginning its take-off run bound for Bangkok.
The incident occurred at the airport’s South Runway (25L) on 22 May, and has been tentatively classed as a “loss of separation” incident by the CAD.
After completing a secondary approach, however, the FedEx freighter was able to land without issue. According to preliminary information revealed by the CAD, the planes were more than 1.7km apart when the FedEx craft “commenced the climb during the missed approach.”
The agency also notes that there were no passengers on board the HKA aircraft, and that airport operations were not disrupted.
“The CAD attaches great importance to the runway incident and is sparing no effort to investigate it,” said the agency. “The CAD has also reported the incident to the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) in accordance with the established mechanism.”
Investigations of aviation accidents were previously carried out solely by the CAD; however, after a 2016 ruling by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), member states are required to maintain separate investigation bodies.
In March 2020, the South China Morning Post reported that the AAIA was looking into four separate “loss of control” incidents. This included an Ethiopian Airlines flight which passed within 570 metres of Tai Mo Shan, one of Hong Kong’s highest peaks.
