Near Miss at Hong Kong Airport Takeoff

Two jumbo jets leaving from Hong Kong’s busy airport nearly tangoed into disaster, prompting an investigation by aviation watchdogs. Must be relieving to know this time it’s not an incident pointing fingers at American skies, eh?

TCAS to the Rescue for Two Cargo Behemoths at HKG

The nail-biter took place at the crack of dawn, precisely 7 AM, on the fateful day of February 27, 2025. The drama stars two heavyweight cargo jets:

• Debut: MNG Airlines’ Airbus A330-300, sporting the registration number TC-MCN, taking off like a big bird to Istanbul (IST) under the codename MB380
• Co-star: Silk Way West Airlines’ Boeing 777-200, fresh and ready with registration number VP-BMU, jetting off to Baku (GYD) as flight 7L625

Both were queued for takeoff at roughly the same time. The A330 was given its marching orders from runway 7C, and the 777 was given clearance to prance off from runway 7R. These runways run side by side, a typical scene in airports adept at handling synchronized takeoffs.

But here’s where the plot thickens—the two metal giants essentially took to the sky simultaneously, following similarly parallel paths. Sure, the controllers shouted a friendly reminder to keep a safe vertical distance, but theory and practice can be worlds apart with limited departure runway separation.

Flying east from Hong Kong isn’t as leisurely as it sounds, thanks to the narrow channel required for navigation, with unfriendly terrain flanking both sides. So, when you’ve got two hulking cargo planes edging toward a near embrace with little room to wiggle out of fate’s grasp, it’s hardly an optimal scenario.

The duo soared higher and closer, initially spreading out by only 1.5 nautical miles with a wee 200 feet of vertical gap. But the suspense built as that space closed in, shrinking the horizontal distance to a mere 0.45 nautical miles, leaving them lined up like ducks with no vertical buffer.

In swooped TCAS, our trusty, unsung hero to save the day. The system politely buzzed a warning in the ear of the Silk Way West Airlines’ 777 around seven nautical miles from liftoff. It immediately dipped down to avoid any firm handshake with its Airbus counterpart. After cordially resolving the TCAS alert, both planes continued on their merry ways, with no more drama unfolding during their journeys.

Looking for some high-speed chills? Check out VASAviation’s video illustration of the incident, complete with thrilling audio from air traffic control—it’s the blockbuster aviation incident we didn’t know we needed!

Aviation Regulators Bust Out Their Magnifying Glasses

Hong Kong’s air authorities didn’t waste time whipping out the disciplinary tape. They’ve temporarily benched the “relevant” air traffic control squad as the initial investigation hints at some ATC folks possibly giving existing procedures the cold shoulder.

With how tightly woven Hong Kong’s eastern ascent is, I’m left scratching my head as to how anyone thought a near-simultaneous takeoff clearance was a good idea. A dollop of separation is usually in order when giving the all-clear for takeoff, making one wonder what on earth went wrong here.

Were the controllers having one of those “clear both planes at virtually the same time” moments? Maybe one aircraft decided to take in the morning view, delaying its runway debut despite being blessed with clearance? Or perhaps our air traffic controllers were too engulfed in their coffee cups to notice a situation brewing?

Hong Kong’s new three-runway circus has gone live recently, giving rise to a slew of synchronous departures and arrivals. Let’s keep fingers crossed that this nerve-racking episode serves as a blueprint for future safety. Gotta tip our hats to TCAS for playing the valiant knight once again.

Wrapping It Up

In a real-life game of air traffic Tetris, two big birds from Hong Kong almost buzzed by too close for comfort, flying at matching altitudes and barely more than a whisper apart—a mere 0.45 nautical miles, to be exact. While parallel liftoffs are as everyday as the price of your latte, a little sprinkle of separation doesn’t hurt, particularly in that tight post-takeoff corridor.

Why we missed it this time—who knows? But thanks to TCAS, disaster was just averted. Of course, the air traffic folks are stepping aside temporarily as this close shave is explored further.

Curious about the story behind this high-altitude tango in Hong Kong? In the meantime, you might want to plan a less turbulent trip like a visit to the Val Seny ski resort for a different flavor of thrill!