Beijing – A small light aircraft crashed into CITIC Tower, Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, on Friday afternoon, sending debris plummeting to the streets below and prompting a major emergency response in the city’s central business district.
(Source: reuters.com)
Witnesses described the aircraft as roughly the size of a car.
It struck the upper floors of the 528-meter (1,732-foot), 109-story tower, also known as China Zun, shattering glass panels and scattering wreckage onto sidewalks and nearby areas.
Videos circulating on social media showed debris and parts of the plane falling from the building as pedestrians ran for safety.
(Source: edition.cnn.com)
The aircraft has been identified as a Sunward SA60L Aurora (registration B-12PP), a two-seat, single-engine light sport aircraft manufactured by China’s Starair Aircraft Co.
It was reportedly on a solo flight with only the pilot on board after departing from Shifosi Airport.
(Source: newsweek.com)
Authorities have provided no immediate details on the cause of the crash, the pilot’s condition, or any casualties inside the building.
A fire alarm was triggered, and the building was evacuated.
Heavy police presence, along with fire engines and ambulances, surrounded the tower, with roads closed off in the area.
Bystanders were instructed not to film the scene.
(Source: reuters.com)
The incident occurred in a tightly restricted airspace zone over central Beijing, where low-altitude general aviation and recreational flights are heavily controlled, raising immediate questions about how the aircraft entered the area.
(Source: newsweek.com)
CITIC Tower serves as the headquarters of the state-owned CITIC Group financial conglomerate and stands as a prominent landmark in the capital’s skyline.
As of Friday evening, rescue and investigation efforts were ongoing.
Disclaimer: This story was compiled using the AI tool Grok on X and may contain inaccuracies
