Small Aircraft Crashes Into Beijing’s Tallest Skyscraper

A small aircraft crashed into the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, on Friday evening, scattering debris across the city’s central business district and prompting a large emergency response.

Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft striking the upper floors of the 528-metre (1,732-foot) tower, with chunks of wreckage falling onto the surrounding pavement and green space. Other footage reviewed by news organizations appeared to show the plane striking a high floor before it spun downward and crashed to the ground in front of the tower’s entrance.

The crash triggered evacuations, with one woman telling the South China Morning Post she had been urgently evacuated from the building at 6pm, running out without her ID card or bag. Police closed off roads around the 108-story skyscraper, and a CNN journalist at the scene reported people being evacuated as firefighters, police officers and ambulances responded.

As of Friday afternoon, officials had not released information about injuries or fatalities, and the identity and condition of the pilot remained unknown. It was also unclear how many people, if any, had been aboard the aircraft.

Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft took off from an airfield in Beijing’s eastern Pinggu district before deviating from what experts described as a typical training route and flying toward downtown. Images of the plane’s registration code appeared to point to a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, owned by a local general aviation company offering pilot training, recreational flights, and aerial photography services.

The 109-story tower, which opened in 2019, is the tallest building in Beijing and the 10th tallest building in the world. It is a mixed-use building with offices, luxury apartments and hotel rooms. It serves as the headquarters of state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group.