Two visitors required emergency medical care after a gyroplane slammed into them at a tourist site in Qinghai Province on Tuesday, July 21, when the small recreational aircraft lost control mid-flight and plummeted into onlookers below. The collision occurred at the Chaka Salt Lake scenic area, where three yellow craft had been performing a demonstration.
Both individuals struck by the gyroplane sustained serious head injuries and were transported initially to Ulan County People’s Hospital before transfer to a larger facility in Haixi Prefecture for additional care. The Ulan County Joint Investigation Group reported that their “vital signs are currently stable.” The pilot and passengers aboard the aircraft were unharmed and immediately provided assistance to the injured tourists.
Wake Turbulence From Formation Flight Under Investigation
The incident unfolded as spectators observed a formation flight of three gyroplanes above Chaka Sky No. 1 Scenic Area, a destination known for the reflective surface of its natural salt lake and mountain vistas. Video footage shared by aviation tracking account FL360aero shows smoke trailing from the rear of one craft—a Harbin XLI, also called a Celier Xenon gyroplane, built to hold two or three occupants—as it flew alongside the other aircraft.
Authorities are probing whether rotor downwash, also known as wake turbulence, from a nearby gyroplane destabilized the doomed craft. This aerodynamic disturbance happens when swirling air from one rotor disrupts a second aircraft flying in close proximity, a hazard that leaves little time for recovery at low elevation. Early findings from the ongoing investigation suggest this phenomenon may have triggered the loss of control, though no official determination has been issued.
Pilot Loses Control as Craft Enters Spin
The gyroplane began spinning as the pilot fought to stabilize it, then banked sharply left before crashing to the ground and striking two people who could not move away in time. One victim was more seriously injured than the other, though both remained conscious after the impact. Investigators confiscated the wrecked aircraft and ordered the Chaka Sky No. 1 Scenic Area shuttered while the probe proceeds. No reopening date or release timeline for findings has been provided.
A Dangerous Year for Low-Altitude Aviation in China
Tuesday’s collision marks another chapter in a troubling pattern of small-aircraft mishaps at Chinese recreational venues, highlighting the hazards of low-altitude flight where multiple craft operating in tight quarters can lead to catastrophe. The demonstration that ended in the crash was intended to promote gyroplane rides to onlookers and prospective customers at the Qinghai Province attraction.
A separate fatal incident involving entertainment aviation took place in September of last year, when a 55-year-old creator of aviation content, Tang Feiji, who had accumulated approximately 100,000 followers on Douyin, a social media platform in China, was broadcasting live video during a flight above Guangyuan City’s Jiange County in Sichuan Province. His single-seat ultralight craft entered a steep turn and dove into the earth, killing Tang on impact. He had not been wearing a helmet or parachute during the flight. Hundreds of fans witnessed the crash in real time through the livestream, and viewers frantically posted messages urging someone to summon emergency responders.
Investigation Ongoing as Scenic Area Remains Closed
Authorities in Ulan County have formed a joint investigation team that has confiscated the Harbin XLI gyroplane and is leading the formal inquiry to establish what caused the aircraft to spiral out of control. Officials are working to piece together the chain of events and verify whether the wake turbulence hypothesis holds up under technical examination. The scenic location remains off-limits to the public while the investigation continues.
