Cathay Pacific aircraft’s tail hit runway at Hong Kong airport, airline confirms

Cathay Pacific Airways has confirmed that the tail of a passenger aircraft struck the runway at Hong Kong airport last week, prompting the city’s aviation regulator to order the airline to submit a report.

In reply to South China Morning Post queries on Thursday, the airline confirmed that the tail of an Airbus A330-300 operating flight CX509 from Tokyo’s Narita airport made contact with the runway while performing a “go-around” manoeuvre at Hong Kong International Airport last Friday.

“The aircraft subsequently landed safely at Hong Kong International Airport and was taxied to a parking bay where our passengers disembarked normally,” a Cathay spokesman said.

“There were no reports of injury among the operating crew or passengers on board.”

He added: “Our engineering team is performing a thorough inspection and will carry out the required maintenance before returning the aircraft to service.”

In aviation, a “go-around” is a standard procedure in which a pilot aborts a landing approach and climbs back up to make another attempt.