Pilot confirmed dead in Beijing tower crash

Chinese authorities releasing almost no information about event witnessed by hundreds

PUBLISHED : 27 Jun 2026 at 17:08

UPDATED : 27 Jun 2026 at 18:14

BEIJING - The pilot of a ​light ​aircraft ‌that crashed into Beijing’s tallest building died and 13 people on the ground were injured, ⁠Chinese authorities said on Saturday.

The injured ​are ⁠receiving full medical ⁠treatment, and relevant authorities are investigating ⁠the ​incident, said a statement posted on social media by the government of Chaoyang ⁠district.

The statement did not elaborate on the cause of the rare incident, which sent censors scurrying to scrub news and images of the event from the Chinese internet.

Witnesses reported plane debris at the base of the 528-metre CITIC Tower, and a hole in the windows of one of the building’s upper floors.

The Chaoyang District statement shared on WeChat said that “a single-engine, two-seat light aircraft crashed into a high-rise building” at 5.55pm on Friday.

“The only person on board was the pilot, who died, and 13 people were injured at the scene,” said the statement.

Earlier reports identified the aircraft as a domestically made Sunward SA 60L Aurora sport plane that was registered to a regional flight training centre.

Video taken by a witness from a nearby building showed fire trucks blasting water at small flames on the ground, as well as what appeared to be part of the plane beside the building. (Story continues below)

Nothing to see here: People take pictures of the CITIC Tower on Friday evening in Beijing before being asked by police to move along. (Photo: AFP)

Police and ambulances swarmed the area, with officers blocking people from taking photos.

The CITIC Tower, which has 108 floors above ground and seven below, is able to accommodate 12,000 office workers.

The tower is about 6km from the Forbidden City, which is visited by thousands of tourists each day. It is also near Zhongnanhai, the compound that houses the offices of China’s top political leadership.

China imposes strict restrictions over its airspace, particularly around Beijing’s urban area, citing public security.

The last aircraft crash in Beijing was in 2022, when a tourist helicopter crashed during a flight ‌between Changping and ⁠Fangshan districts, killing the ​two pilots on board.

While the cause of Friday’s crash remains unclear, the apparent censorship of images and information could suggest an attempt to downplay any possible security lapse.

The statement issued on Saturday received virtually no coverage on Chinese media outlets.