Investigation Report on incident of freighter taxiing to unopened area at Hong Kong International Airport published
The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) today (April 17) published the Investigation Report IVR-2025-03 on the investigation into a taxiing incident involving a Boeing 737-800BCF freighter (registration mark VP-BEN) operated by Siberia Airlines at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on October 14, 2021.
At 00.03am that day, the freighter touched down at the then North Runway of HKIA. While following the instruction of Air Traffic Control (ATC) to vacate the runway via Taxiway (TWY) A7, the freighter mistakenly taxied onto a paved area yet to be commissioned for operational use between TWYs A6 and A7 and stopped in front of marker boards in that unopened area. No person was injured in the incident, and there was no damage to the aircraft, runway or airport facilities.
The investigation identified that the flight crew members concerned had no prior knowledge of the presence of the paved and unopened area at HKIA and mistook the area for the assigned runway exit. The investigation team made two safety recommendations. While Siberia Airlines should assess the pilots' pre-flight understanding of pertinent aeronautical information regarding flight safety and operations such as those stated in the Aeronautical Information Circular, the Airport Authority Hong Kong should conduct a holistic safety risk assessment during the planning and implementation phases of work projects in aircraft movement areas to ensure the continued effectiveness of risk mitigation measures taken in relation to aircraft operations.
The investigation was conducted by a team of professional investigators in strict adherence to international standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). "The objective of the investigation was to identify the circumstances and causes of the incident with a view to preventing a recurrence," an AAIA spokesperson said.
Throughout the investigation, all parties concerned were properly consulted on the report. The report is available for downloading on the AAIA webpage (www.tlb.gov.hk/aaia/eng/investigation_reports/index.html).
The AAIA, an independent investigation authority formed under the Transport and Logistics Bureau, is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and incidents in accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations (Cap. 448B) and with reference to the ICAO standards.
