Notice released by Zouping's joint investigation team: screenshot from Binzhou local media

Authorities in Zouping, a county-level city in Binzhou, East China's Shandong Province, launched on Sunday an overnight investigation after China Central Television (CCTV) reported that workshops in Weiqiao Town had been illegally manufacturing and selling "homemade aircraft," posing serious safety risks.

In an notice released Monday morning, the joint investigation team, which included officials from the local law enforcement departments such as the public security department, said it had dispatched personnel to the site immediately after the report was aired. The notice stated that the authorities would conduct a thorough investigation, handle the case in strict accordance with laws and regulations, and launch inspections citywide to prevent similar risks.

According to CCTV's Cai Jing Diao Cha investigative program, undercover reporters posing as buyers entered what the seller described as a "manufacturing site." Instead of proper aviation equipment, they found stacks of neatly packaged noodles.

The seller admitted the factory's main business was noodle production, but claimed the machining equipment used for noodle-making was "compatible" with manufacturing aircraft parts. On this basis, several individuals had set up a side workshop producing customized aircraft while continuing to sell noodles.

CCTV footage showed aircraft with dirty fuselages, corroded screws, and improvised structures. Test flights were reportedly conducted on a repurposed rural road, and those operating the planes lacked any form of flight license or qualification to fly an aircraft, conditions that experts warned could lead to catastrophic accidents.

The trade network for self-built aircraft mainly operates through private social-media groups and second-hand platforms. Some sellers used heavily corroded components or second-hand engines yet still advertised the planes as "safe." Most had no aviation training or certification. One seller in Southwest China's Sichuan Province claimed that his aircraft could fly up to 3,000 meters at speeds of 100 km/h, and that he could produce batches of up to 20 planes, local media reported. 

The program also noted that under the Civil Aviation Law of the People's Republic of China, the design of civil aircraft and their engines, propellers and onboard equipment must be submitted to the civil aviation authority under the State Council for a type certificate. 

Also, a certificate is issued only after the design passes the required review. The law further stipulates that the production and maintenance of civil aircraft and their engines, propellers and onboard equipment must obtain production and maintenance licenses from the same authority. These licenses are granted only after the required inspections are completed and the necessary standards are met.

Global Times