Photo provided by Chen Jingyu showed the nose section of the crashed cargo aircraft being successfully lifted from the water by the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau.
In a coordinated effort by on-site personnel, the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau efficiently completed the operation to retrieve a crashed cargo aircraft from Hong Kong waters on October 27, after five days of intensive work. The aircraft's tail section, bow section, and other scattered components have been transported by vessel to a designated unloading terminal, where they will be lifted ashore and handed over for further investigation.
In the early hours of October 20, around 4 a.m., a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft veered off the runway during its landing approach at Hong Kong International Airport and subsequently plunged into the sea. Three of the aircraft's engines and a ground service vehicle also fell into the water during the incident. Following the accident, under the unified coordination of the Rescue and Salvage Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau promptly organized a special meeting involving engineering experts and relevant department heads. The session focused on formulating a technical salvage plan, mobilizing emergency resources, and preparing for the initial stages of the retrieval operation.
The salvage team systematically carried out the operation using a comprehensive strategy of "dual-vessel coordinated lifting combined with single-vessel retrieval". The worksite deployed substantial resources, including four vessels: the 350-ton engineering ship "Nantianxiang", the 500-ton "Nantianpeng", "Suijiutuo 18", and "Dehua". More than 80 personnel - comprising engineers, divers, and crew members - took part in the operation. The team successfully recovered the flight recorder (black box), the tail and bow sections of the wreckage, aircraft engines, the ground service vehicle, landing gear, and other fragmented parts. The operation highlighted the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau's efficient teamwork and professional salvage capabilities, while also demonstrating the close collaboration between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in emergency response. The effort has been highly commended by relevant authorities.
Source from: China Transportation News Network