Small Aircraft Crashes into CITIC Tower, Beijing Headquarters of Chinese State-Owned Conglomerate
A small aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, the CITIC Tower, on Friday (26/06/2026). The Chinese government has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
As reported by detikNews, the incident has triggered various speculations on social media, including whether the crash was purely accidental or intentional. The incident occurred at the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, a 528-metre-tall building that serves as the headquarters for the state-owned conglomerate, CITIC Group. The 108-storey structure is the tallest building in China’s capital.
According to eyewitnesses speaking to Reuters, a small aircraft, roughly the size of a car, struck the building located in Beijing’s central business district on Friday local time. Several witnesses reported seeing aircraft debris at the base of the skyscraper, and AFP journalists on the scene observed a hole in one of the upper floors of the building.
Photos released by AFP show that two glass panels on the upper floors of the CITIC Tower sustained damage. However, Beijing authorities have not provided any information regarding the incident, and it remains unknown whether there were any casualties.
Video footage captured by a witness from a nearby building shows several fire engines spraying water towards a small fire on a protruding part of the CITIC Tower near ground level, as well as towards the pavement. Photos from the scene also show objects resembling parts of a small aircraft lying on the ground beside the building. A man working in the CITIC Tower told AFP: “I saw debris as I was leaving. It looked like part of an aircraft.”
Video footage uploaded to Chinese local social media, which appears to show the same skyscraper, depicts debris falling from the building. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage.
Police have cordoned off the streets around the building, with a large number of police personnel and dozens of patrol cars stationed at the scene. Police personnel have prohibited citizens from taking photos and videos at the incident site and have requested those who have captured images to delete them, while directing people away from the building.
One resident mentioned that they had recorded video showing the aircraft protruding from the building but subsequently deleted it for fear of being caught by the police. Social media posts regarding the building on Friday (26/06) were quickly removed from Chinese social media platforms. Searches for the building’s name on the Xiaohongshu app only displayed posts dated Thursday (25/06).
In the absence of an official explanation from Beijing authorities, the cause of the aircraft crash remains a mystery. It is currently unclear whether the incident was intentional or a pure accident, especially given that airspace over central Beijing is highly restricted.
“I don’t know why that plane flew here. It is truly strange,” said one eyewitness speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity. “It is very strange to have a plane flying in this area,” another witness at the scene told Reuters.