WATCH: Dramatic Video as Helicopter Crashes Near Fifth Ring Road
A city already on edge from last Thursday's one-man attack on the US Embassy received another shock Monday morning as a helicopter crashed around the area of Beijing's Fifth Road in dramatic fashion on Monday morning.
The uploaded video above shows a helicopter dramatically careening out of control before ultimately crashing to the ground in an area near Naizifang Village, north of Chaoyang District.
According to the Beijing Youth Daily, the pilot of the helicopter managed to pilot the aircraft away from crowded areas before coming down near a car park.
No one on the ground was injured. Four people on board the helicopter suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Photos taken at the scene show a green helicopter lying on its side with its windows smashed and tail missing.
The remains of the helicopter have since been picked up by a crane, covered up, and transported away on a truck.
Bell Helicopter told Reuters the crashed helicopter is a Bell 429 owned by Reignwood Star Aviation. Reignwood's parent company purchased 50 Bell helicopters during US President Donald Trump's visit to China last fall, making them the world's largest owner of Bell 505 Jet Ranger Xs with 110 such vehicles.
Reignwood received authorization in 2014 to offer helicopter tours around Beijing, prompting a local tourism official to describe the nascent industry as "a huge market."
"Imagine millions of people waiting to take an air tour," said the official, before adding: "The number of tourists in China is increasing every year. They can afford and are interested in new things like air tours."
Reignwood went on to partner with ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing in 2015, sparking excitement by offering a trial helicopter hailing service. Only 100 out of some 10,000 applicants were taken on a round-trip ride from Beijing to Tianjin in a Bell 429 that cost RMB 3,500 (USD 560).
Although Chinese airspace has traditionally been reserved for the country's military, recent reforms have allowed the use of helicopters for civilian purposes. Helicopter sightseeing rides to the Great Wall have been around for at least five years, while Beijing airport shuttle rides started in 2015.
News of the crash comes after a tense week in which an explosion occurred in the area around the US Embassy last Thursday. On the same day, the floor of a Fengtai building collapsed, drawing much of the city's media attention.
Images: China.com.cn, Weibo.com
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