Pilot Killed, 13 Injured After Light Aircraft Slams Into Beijing Skyscraper
Beijing — A two-seat light sport aircraft crashed into a high-rise building in Beijing’s Chaoyang district on Friday evening, killing the pilot and injuring 13 other people, Chinese authorities said on Saturday, as investigators sought to determine the cause of the rare accident in the capital’s tightly controlled airspace.
District authorities said the aircraft struck the building at 5:55 p.m. local time on Friday, causing one fatality and multiple injuries. The pilot died in the crash, while 13 other people were hurt. Officials did not disclose the severity of the injuries.
In a brief statement posted on WeChat, authorities did not identify either the pilot or the building involved. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 said on Friday that the aircraft crashed into CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, Beijing’s tallest building, which stands 528 meters (1,732 feet) high in the city’s central business district.
The 108-story tower, designed in the shape of an ancient Chinese wine vessel, is one of the capital’s most recognizable landmarks and dominates the skyline east of Beijing’s central ring roads.
Authorities have not disclosed what caused the crash. An investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The accident is unusual in Beijing, where civilian aviation activities are subject to strict regulation and airspace controls. The city also maintains stringent restrictions on low-altitude flights and has recently tightened regulations governing drone operations.
