(ECNS) - A Russian plane flew off course in Beijing early Thursday morning, dropping low in the sky over the city's third ring road near business districts, the Beijing Youth Daily reports.
At about 1:20 a.m., many residents reported hearing a plane near their buildings. "The engine's noise was so loud and the plane seemed to fly right over my head. I was scared to death," said one resident.
The Transaero Airlines flight made a timely change after being notified by air traffic control, but it didn't cause "much impact," a person familiar with the case told the newspaper.
The pilot in command made a mistake with the direction of the plane, scheduled to fly from Beijing to Moscow, but didn't enter Beijing's no-fly zone, says the source.
According to a Chinese pilot, countries and airlines vary in how they deal with pilots who intentionally fly off course.
The Russian plane departed from Beijing at 1:17 a.m., 37 minutes later than scheduled, and arrived in Moscow at 4:16 a.m., 11 minutes later than scheduled, according to the Beijing Capital International Airport website.
