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Cathay Dragon flight surrounded by emergency vehicles after an alarm issue in the rear cargo area. Photo: Facebook

Cathay Dragon flight makes emergency landing after smoke alarm triggered

A Cathay Dragon spokesman said an initial investigation showed it was an alarm issue in the rear cargo area and no visible smoke or burning smell was reported

A Cathay Dragon flight heading for the mainland from Hong Kong returned and made an emergency landing at the city’s international airport on Monday night after a smoke alarm was triggered on the aircraft.

Flight KA622 to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, with 219 passengers on board, took off from Hong Kong International Airport at 8.22pm.

The aircraft returned to Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Flightrader

But the Airbus A330 turned back about 9.10pm when it was 33,000 feet over South China Sea near Shanwei in Guangdong after the alarm went off in the aircraft’s rear cargo area.

Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department’s air traffic control staff declared a “full emergency” after it noted the situation at 9.15pm.

A full emergency is declared when an aircraft is known or suspected to be in such trouble that the danger of an accident exists. The Fire Services Department then fully mobilises its fire and rescue services.

The plane landed at Chek Lap Kok at 9.40pm. No one was injured.

The city’s Fire Services Department did not find signs of a fire.

The full emergency situation was stood down at 9.50pm.

A Cathay Dragon spokesman said an initial investigation showed it was an alarm issue in the rear cargo area and no visible smoke or burning smell was reported.

An investigation has been launched.

On March 6, a Cathay Pacific Airways training flight made an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport after a problem with one of its engines was discovered when it was heading to a nearby airport at Zhuhai in Guangdong.

No injuries were reported.

Affected passengers were transferred to another flight that will take off early Wednesday morning.

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