Kai Tak Airport Approach and Landing — The World’s Most Exciting and Dangerous Final

Flying the Famous Kai Tak Airport Approach and Landing

The Kai Tak Airport approach and landing in Hong Kong was legendary — thrilling, precise, and unforgiving. From the cockpit of a Pan Am Boeing 747, every mile of this arrival demanded total focus. With Victoria Harbor on one side, mountains on the other, and high-rise buildings almost within arm’s reach, there was no margin for error. In this story, I’ll take you inside the pilot’s view of the Kai Tak Airport approach and landing, sharing both the beauty and the danger of one of aviation’s most famous runways.

The Location

Kai Tak Airport was built on reclaimed land at the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula with its single runway jutting into Victoria Harbor. Runway 13 faced 130 degrees (east-southeast), while the opposite end faced 310 degrees (west-northwest).

The eastern end of the runway, as well as the south and north sides, bordered the harbor. The north and west sides were surrounded by hills and mountains. This geography left very little margin for error. The final approach for runway 13 passed low over densely packed apartment buildings before a sharp, precise turn to line up with the runway — like threading a needle at 200 miles per hour.

Over the airport’s 70+ years of operation, there were several accidents with fatalities. The airport finally closed in 1998, replaced by the new Chek Lap Kok Airport.

Long Duty Days for Pan Am Crews

When I was flying into Hong Kong, I was on the Pan Am Boeing 747 route from San Francisco. Most days we could make the trip non-stop, but strong headwinds sometimes required a quick fuel stop in Taiwan.

We always flew with a double crew, since duty days could reach 14 hours, and actual “awake time” often exceeded 24 hours. Fortunately, the 747 had two bunks just behind the cockpit, so each pilot could get a rest break enroute.

Precision Was the Key

For the Kai Tak Airport approach and landing, every action had to be pre-planned, with the pilot’s mind several miles ahead of the aircraft. The golden rule was simple: if you reached the go-around point and didn’t see the checkerboard visual reference, you went around — no hesitation.

I always believed it was better to explain to the Pan Am chief pilot why I went around than to explain why I damaged an aircraft. And more importantly, our passengers’ safety came first.

Kai Tak Airport Hong Kong approach diagram

The Approach to Runway 13

The approach began up Victoria Harbor toward the checkerboard painted on a hillside. Descend to minimum altitude — about 600 feet — and if you still didn’t see the checkerboard, the missed approach was mandatory.

Once the checkerboard came into view, the pilot would continue toward it until spotting the strobes and “lead-in” lights, then begin the descending right-hand turn to line up with the runway.

Checkerboard at Kai Tak airport Hong Kong

Visual glide slope indicators (VASI/PAPI lights) helped ensure the correct approach angle:

• Four white lights = too high

• Two red, two white = on glide path

• Four red lights = too low
  

Landing short here could “spoil your day” — as we liked to say.

The Danger of Overshooting

Overshooting the final turn set up a dangerous chain reaction — requiring sharp corrective turns that could lead to a hard landing, wingtip strike, or worse, ending up in the harbor. Crosswinds made it even more challenging, requiring both heading correction and alignment in the last seconds.

Landing at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong

The best strategy was to slightly undershoot the turn so any correction was just a small slide onto centerline.

Examples from the Cockpit

Bad Crosswind Landing: A late turn, overshoot, and last-second corrections can be seen in one memorable video taken from a nearby rooftop. The aircraft touches down skewed to the runway — a maneuver that demands a full post-landing inspection.

Perfect Approach: In another video, the crew deliberately undershoots the turn, gliding onto centerline for a smooth touchdown exactly on the 1,500-foot marker. That’s the gold standard.

Night Approach: At night, the lead-in lights could blend into the city’s glow until the final seconds, making precise visual cues even more critical.

When Things Went Wrong

In 1993, a China Airlines 747 landed at Kai Tak with 70-degree crosswinds gusting to 40 knots, plus reported wind shear. The aircraft touched down more than 2,100 feet beyond the 3,000-foot touchdown zone. Hydroplaning on standing water, the crew elected to ground loop the airplane to avoid hitting the approach lights. Twenty-two people suffered minor injuries.

A British Airways crew had refused the approach minutes earlier, citing the same weather conditions. Sometimes the safest choice is the unpopular one.

Final Thoughts

The Kai Tak Airport approach and landing was a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience for pilots and passengers alike. It demanded skill, discipline, and absolute respect for the limits of both man and machine. While I’m glad I had the privilege to fly it many times, I’m also grateful that every one of my landings there ended safely — and without a maintenance log entry for “hard landing.” View my Blog for more Pan Am and other Stories