Light Aircraft Hits 528-Meter Beijing Tower, Killing Pilot and Injuring 13
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 27
Light Aircraft Hits 528-Meter Beijing Tower, Killing Pilot and Injuring 13
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 27
Summary
Beijing authorities said Saturday that the single-engine, two-seat light sports aircraft struck CITIC Tower in flight, killing the pilot—the only person aboard—and injuring 13 people on the ground.
Footage briefly visible before censorship showed the plane hitting the upper floors during Friday rush hour, sending glass and aircraft debris onto streets below and prompting evacuations, road closures and a heavy police presence.
The crash has intensified questions over how a small aircraft penetrated Beijing’s tightly controlled airspace, where light flights require civil and military approval and casual recreational flying was effectively banned last month.
Officials have said only that the incident is under investigation, while the cause remains unclear and online discussion inside China was rapidly scrubbed despite the crash’s high-profile location near embassies and major offices.