The Beijing Helicopter Incident

The Beijing Helicopter Incident on the afternoon of July 17, 1976 where a foreign helicopter avoided Chinese radar and somehow managed to fly from India to Beijing . The event caused extreme panic within China, resulting in the mobilization of several military helicopters to intercept the offending aircraft to bring it down and track its movements. In addition, a large portion of the Beijing Metro Police were called in to help the pursuit of the rogue aircraft.
The helicopter was eventually shot down over Fengtai after passing the Marco Polo Bridge.
==Launch==
The rogue helicopter in question was launched from outside of India as an attempt by a paramilitary group named Raynor's Raiders to conduct espionage on China on the behalf of Australia on July of 1976. Evading Chinese border radar and security the aircraft somehow managed to evade further radar or raising concerns from internal base personnel by flying over Tibet and heading straight for the dragon's den that was Beijing. The craft was sent off manned by three members of the mercenary group.
==Chinese Response==
After being detected over the city of Beijing nearby air force bases launched a pair of Láng B-1 and B-2 helicopters with a full crew to follow and talk the offending craft down to the ground for arrest. However, when they aircraft did not comply the crews fired on it to force it down.While being chased the helicopter dipped low during the chase and evicted one of its crew onto the streets. There, she was intercepted by Beijing Metro. However a successful arrest was not made when she pulled a pin on a grenade and committed suicide.
The helicopter was later successfully shot down over Fengtai outside of a train station. Police and IB forensics crews later rushed to the scene and claimed the chopper and the remains for investigation.
==Investigation==
Forensic investigation of the helicopter revealed it to be an old Russian light military helicopter. Investigations on the airbases in China revealed that the same craft had appeared momentarily in view of air control and radar but was never reported as it was confused for aircraft already deployed on training exercises. Several witness accounts also report to seeing it.
Forensic studies on the bodies revealed all three to be Caucasian in their late twenties/thirties. Interviews with those civilians at the scene of the woman on the ground hint at them being possible Oceanic, Australian or New Zealand.
==Response==
As of now, no retaliatory response has been made or planned. The most severe response to the fly-over has been made with tightened and improved security and reporting practices in addition to punishments on radar and communications officers on duty at the time. Otherwise, it's believed the craft had not reported anything that compromises security to its source.
The remains remain at the IB headquarters in Beijing. The corpses have been detailed, photographed, and stored in an ice-box in the same headquarters.
Category:Asia
Category:Oceania