Small plane crashes into Beijing's tallest building, one dead

A light, single-engine, two-seat sport aircraft crashed into the CITIC Tower in Beijing’s Chaoyang district on Friday afternoon, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others, according to the district government. The incident occurred at 5:55 p.m. near the East Third Ring Road when the plane struck the high-rise building. The pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was pronounced dead at the scene. The 13 injured individuals are receiving intensive medical care, and the relevant authorities are conducting a further investigation into the situation. CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, is 528 metres tall with 108 floors above ground and 7 below. It serves as the headquarters for the state-owned CITIC Group, which operates under the Ministry of Finance and has business pillars including finance, intelligent manufacturing, raw materials, and smart city operations. The building is located in Beijing’s main business district, opposite the state-run media headquarters of CCT and surrounded by numerous domestic and foreign corporate offices and foreign embassies. It is approximately six kilometres from Tiananmen Square. Videos circulated on Chinese social media, which were quickly removed, showed debris falling from the building after the impact, with two glass panels on an upper floor damaged. The aircraft was reportedly a light sport plane registered to Shuangyue General Aviation, a company offering services such as pilot training, private recreational flights, and aerial photography. Police responded immediately to the scene, preventing bystanders from taking photographs and requesting that those who had already recorded videos delete them. Dozens of police cars and several fire engines lined the nearby streets. It remains unknown whether the crash was accidental or intentional. By Saturday afternoon, roads around the CITIC Tower remained closed with a police guard, and only individuals who could prove they worked in the area were permitted entry. The crash occurred after Beijing implemented a ban on the purchase, rental, and unauthorised flight of drones starting 1 May 2026 for public safety reasons. The last aviation accident in Beijing occurred in 2022, when a tourist helicopter crashed during a flight between Changping and Fangshan districts, killing two people on board.