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A person holds a drone. Photo from Pexels |
Police in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, said earlier this week that the case is the city’s first criminal prosecution involving a drone exceeding legal altitude limits, according to Znews, citing Chinese outlet QQ.
Authorities said the suspect, identified as Ding, bought illegal software to tamper with the drone’s flight control system, allowing it to bypass built-in restrictions on height and no-fly zones.
After altering the drone, Ding reportedly carried out multiple flights in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Qingdao and Shanghai, operating above 120 meters, the standard maximum altitude for civilian drones in controlled airspace.
In some instances, the drone reached as high as 3,280 meters, an altitude typically reserved for low-flying aircraft and helicopters.
Police said Ding also repeatedly flew the drone inside airport no-fly zones. Civil aviation officials confirmed that the flights created a major safety risk and forced commercial planes to make emergency midair maneuvers to avoid potential collision.
Authorities warned that even a small drone could cause a disaster if it struck an aircraft’s engine or windshield.
Ding has been criminally detained on suspicion of endangering public safety.
