Small plane crashes into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper

On Friday, a small plane took off from Beijing's Shifosi Airport (ZBPG) and crashed into the CITIC Tower, the tallest building in the city, damaging part of the structure and scattering debris onto the streets below.

Videos on social media captured the moment of impact, with pieces of the aircraft falling from the 108-storey tower that houses the state-owned CITIC Group’s headquarters. Photos from the scene showed damage to the building, including two shattered glass panels, and the aircraft’s tail section lying on the ground. A nearby taxi had a smashed window, and the crash sparked a small fire at street level, smoke rising from the spot where debris landed.

The CITIC Tower, which has 108 floors above ground and seven basement levels, is one of Beijing's most recognisable landmarks and can accommodate around 12,000 office workers. According to Reuters, police quickly sealed off roads surrounding the building and restricted access to the area. Witnesses told the news agency that officers prevented people from recording the aftermath and asked some bystanders to delete photographs and videos taken at the scene. The Reuters report also said that images and videos of the crash were removed from Chinese social media platforms, although footage remained available on X.

A closer examination of images circulating online suggested the aircraft was a Sunward SA60L Aurora, a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft roughly the size of a car. The aircraft is produced by a Chinese general aviation company that provides services including pilot training, recreational flying, and aerial photography. Neither the aircraft manufacturer nor the Chinese authorities had issued an official statement on the crash at the time of publication.

The incident comes against the backdrop of tighter airspace controls in Beijing. Since the 1st of May authorities have enforced sweeping restrictions on drones, requiring government approval before residents can buy, rent, or operate unmanned aircraft.

The cause of the crash and whether there are any casualties were not immediately known.

Aircraft Information:

Owner/operator: Dongshi Shuangyue General Aviation

Aircraft: Sunward SA 60L Aurora

Registration: B-12PP

Serial Number: SA60LS00313

Engine: 100 hp Rotax 912ULS 4-cylinder

We’re keeping family and friends in our thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.