The news that an illegal drone flew only 800 meters from a passenger plane made it to the very top of the trends on the Chinese social network Weibo and caused violent reactions from the public.
According to CCTV News, the police in the Chinese city of Zhongshan received a report back in December of last year that videos of illegal drone flights were appearing on the Internet. The footage shows the drones reaching an altitude of more than 8,000 meters, which corresponds to the normal cruising altitude of civilian passenger planes.
Drones at the height of passenger planes pose a serious threat
The police investigation established that the suspect, who did not have any license to operate a drone, purchased a total of five drones as a hobby for cloud photography and illegally removed the factory flight restrictions. During several illegal flights, his drone at one point came close to a passenger plane at a distance of only 800 meters.
Further investigation revealed that another person was providing drone “unlocking” services. He procured hacking software and used remote access to remove the software’s altitude limitations, thereby illegally obtaining financial benefits.
Legal experts warn that flying a drone at a height of about 8,000 meters is a serious violation of regulations, as it is an unauthorized entry into controlled airspace, with a real risk of collision with passenger planes and disruption of air routes.
According to official information, the suspects are charged with the criminal offense of endangering public safety by means of dangerous means, and they have already been detained by order of the prosecution. A person who illegally “unlocked” drones was arrested on suspicion of providing programs and tools for unauthorized intrusion and illegal control of computer information systems.
This case has once again drawn attention to the serious risks that the illegal use of drones poses to the safety of civil air traffic, as well as the need for stricter controls and penalties.