A Chinese military helicopter shot down a drone that sparked a major security alert and delayed commercial flights over Beijing after flying in restricted airspace, Chinese media has reported. The emergency caused by the unmanned 2.3-metre long drone last December 29 led rapid-response forces and military aircraft from 10 different People’s Liberation Army regiments and surface-to-air missiles to go into battle mode, The People’s Liberation Army Daily reported. Three people who flew the drone went on trial in Pinggu, in the far east of Beijing Municipality, on October 22, charged with endangering public security, the report said. The PLA army’s troops and forces and aircraft from 10 regiments, and its surface-to-air missiles automatically go into battle mode if a suspicious low-altitude flight activity is detected, the newspaper said. However the threat in this case was a small white drone, which was reportedly carrying out mapping and site measurements of real estate developments, the newspaper reported. The security alert began after a suspicious, unidentified object was detected taking off from a small airport in Sanhe, Hebei province, the court was told. Commanders in the PLA’s north air division immediately ordered soldiers and other personnel from its land and air forces to prepare for battle. Up to six teams of military personnel rushed to the airport to investigate. Within six minutes, the command centre had discovered that a small aircraft was involved and ordered an armed helicopter to intercept it and make a closer examination, The People’s Liberation Army Daily reported. The PLA Air Force, Beijing Military Region, and the Public Security Bureaus in both Beijing and Hebei were also alerted. The helicopter spotted the drone, but was unable to discover what it was doing in restricted airspace or who was controlling it. The newspaper said the drone continued to head for Beijing, and had ignored a series of “emergency warning” manoeuvres carried out by the helicopter. The helicopter was ordered to shoot down the drone, while avoiding densely populated areas, because of the possible threat to national security if the drone reached Beijing Capital International Airport, the newspaper said. After destroying the drone, the crew of the helicopter spotted three people who had been controlling the drone in a car. Military and public security personnel were sent to the scene to arrest the three suspects. The emergency sparked by drone’s flight into restricted airspace not only led the PLA to mobilise its forces, aircraft and missiles, but also delayed the flight of an Air China passenger jet. The carrier claimed that the drone had caused a total of 11 flights to be delayed and caused losses totalling 18,000 yuan (about HK$23,000). The court will announced its verdict at a future date, the newspaper reported. Currently, the military and the local government has a coordinated system to respond to emergencies in the event of suspicious low-altitude flight activity being detected, including carrying out joint investigations and holding media briefings. The local government and the civil aviation sector jointly control the use of small aircrafts, including all purchases, registration, development, production and flights. In China, drones flying at a height of less than 1,000 metres cannot take off with the require prior permission from the PLA Air Force. Only certain low-altitude flights are given approval, such as small aircraft being used in particular areas that meet safety requirements. All low-altitude flights must be made within existing laws, including China’s Civil Aviation Law and General Aviation Flight Control Ordinance.