A Macao registered helicopter of East Asia Airlines, while en-route from Hong Kong to Macao, encountered an emergency landing accident at 12:00noon today (03 July). The aircraft was carrying 2 crew members and 11 passengers, who were all rescued. Preliminary information indicated that two passengers were sent to hospital in Hong Kong; the rest did not sustain injuries. The cause of the accident was still under investigation. A while after the helicopter took off from the Hong Kong Shun Tak Centre, the pilot made an emergency landing on sea. In accordance with the passenger manifest of East Asia Airlines, there were no Macao residents. The passengers included 3 mainland Chinese, 7 Hong Kong residents and 1 British. The Macao SAR Government expresses its condolences to the injured and the families of the injured. The Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) has activated the Contingency Mechanism for Aviation Emergencies immediately after the accident. Due to the fact that the accident occurred in Hong Kong air space, the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong SAR (HKCAD) will be responsible for its investigation. The aeronautical authorities of the two SARs have been keeping close contact with each other. AACM has already sent representatives to Hong Kong to obtain details of the accident and assist in the investigation.
