Light Aircraft Crashes into Beijing’s Tallest Skyscraper, Say Eyewitnesses

 

 

Eyewitnesses describe a 'loud crash' as a light sport aircraft strikes the 108-storey CITIC Tower amid a heavy police presence and online censorship.

 

A light aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing’s tallest building on Friday evening, according to eyewitnesses. Police subsequently cordoned off roads surrounding the skyscraper, whilst authorities have remained tight-lipped about the incident.

 

The 108-storey CITIC Tower, affectionately known as China Zun, dominates Beijing’s central business district and serves as the headquarters for the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group.

 

A heavy police presence was reported at the site, with several approach roads closed to traffic. At least two glass panels on an upper floor appeared damaged. The city government did not immediately respond to out-of-hours requests for comment.

 

 

 

 

 

'Louder than fireworks'

A courier standing amongst the crowds near the building said he rushed to the scene at around 6:00 pm local time (1000 GMT) after hearing a massive impact.

 

"It was so loud — louder than fireworks," he said.

 

He claimed to have filmed footage of the aircraft protruding from the building but deleted it out of fear of police repercussions. Officers on the scene were reportedly preventing onlookers from taking photographs, instructing people to delete existing media, and ushering the public away. Dozens of police cars and several fire engines lined the adjacent streets.
 

 

 

 

 

Another courier stated he had been drawn to the scene after spotting unverified social media images showing wreckage on a road next to the tower. A 39-year-old office worker in a neighbouring building told CNN she saw emergency vehicles and a large object covered by a blue tarpaulin.

 

"I was on my way down to dinner when someone said a plane had crashed into the next building," she said. "From the window, we saw police cars, ambulances, and a blue tarp on the road about the size of a VW Beetle."

 

 

 

 

 

Security lockdown and censorship

Information regarding the incident was swiftly suppressed. Search results for the building’s name on the popular Xiaohongshu (Red Note) app yielded only historical posts, whilst videos of the crash were rapidly scrubbed from Chinese social media platforms.

 

When Reuters journalists were ordered to leave the area by a police officer and asked for a reason, the officer replied: "We all know why!"

 

Whether the crash was accidental or deliberate remains unclear. Airspace over downtown Beijing is heavily restricted, and since 1 May, the capital has operated under strict "drone-free" regulations, banning unauthorised unmanned aerial vehicles.

 

One resident, Anna, expressed her alarm to journalists near the scene:

 

"I’ve heard so many rules and laws about not using any aircraft in Beijing," she said. "I’m actually quite scared. This is the central business district — how could they allow a flight to stay in the air for 20 minutes to reach this area?"
 

 

 

 

 

Flight data clues

Online images showing the aircraft’s registration code suggest the vehicle was a Sunward SA60L Aurora, a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft. The plane is reportedly owned by a local general aviation company that provides pilot training, recreational flights, and aerial photography.

 

Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 appeared to show the aircraft taking off from Beijing’s Shifosi airport before deviating severely from its intended flight path.

 

Videos that briefly emerged on social media showed the aircraft striking the upper tiers of the 528-metre (1,732-foot) tower, sending debris falling onto the pavements and green spaces below. Whilst sections of the building were evacuated, it is not yet known if the incident has caused any casualties or how many people were on board.
 

 

 

Source: Reuters, CNN