China & Hong Kong 1993 to 1996

Hong Kong. Kai Tak Airport.1993

 

I was sitting in at a meeting on the 28th floor of a building in Hong Kong overlooking Hong Kong Harbour.


Outside it was a morning of drenching heavy rain as Hong Kong was buffeted by an approaching Typhoon, the rain lashed the streets pushed along by the strong and gusty winds.

Directly opposite the building across Hong Kong Harbor was Kai Tak airport.
Through the wind and driving rain I could see Jumbo jets taking off in the uncomfortable conditions.

A China Air jumbo appeared through the rain moving rapidly along the runway in a cloud of water spray on the final part of its landing run, the aircraft partly submerged by huge spray being push along in front by the power of its reversing engines. 
I watched as it swerved a little left then right as it raced along the runway.
Being an aviator it looked unusual and instantly grabbed my attention, I watched the impressive amount of spray being lifted and pushed forward as the pilot made an obvious futile attempt to stop the jet before arriving at the rapidly approaching end of the runway.

Even from across Hong Kong Harbor, through the thick glass of the building the thunderous roar of its four protesting engines could easily be heard.

The jet simply continued on at speed as it ran off the end of the runway nose down and slid into the bay with a splash then continued to float slowly away from the rocky end of the runway.

The interior lights of the cabin were on and its passengers could be seen looking out of the windows at the surrounding water, by now I thought they must know all was not well.

Just a little way into Hong Kong harbor was a small tug, towing two large empty barges.
It easily slipped the tow ropes and set the barges adrift in the busy water way.

The tiny tug turned and maneuvered itself in front of the huge drifting jet, approaching it slowly, nose to nose. A gentle touch easily halting the monsters progress from shore.

Slowly the tiny tug moved the enormous airliner back toward the end of the airports runway, the bottom of the towering tail touched the rocky breakwater as the tug maneuvered the jet into a position where one wingtip passed over the bank, then the jet stopped moving.

At the same time the nose cone suddenly crumpled near the front of the cock pit, giving the appearance the jet had suddenly broken into a huge smile.

Stunned passengers began appearing stumbling along the top of the wing buffeted by the strong wind and driving rain as they made their way along the wing then eventually slid down over the back of the wing and onto the rain sodden safety of mud and sand.