BEIJING, June 27 - Beijing authorities say a light-sport aircraft crashed into the city’s tallest skyscraper on the evening of June 26, killing the sole person on board and injuring 13 people who were not on the plane. The Chaoyang district government said those hurt are receiving medical care and that an official probe into the incident is underway.
According to the district statement, the single-engine, two-seat plane collided with a high-rise near the East Third Ring Road in Chaoyang at 5:55 p.m. local time (0955 GMT). The statement noted there was only one person on board - the pilot - who died. The release did not offer details on what might have caused the aircraft to strike the building.
Photographs circulated on social media after the accident showed wreckage identified by the aircraft code B-12PP. Those images could not be independently verified. The damage to the exterior of the 528-metre tower, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, appeared limited to a gap created by the loss of two large glass panels; the opening had been temporarily boarded up by Saturday.
The building sits in Beijing’s Central Business District, roughly 6 km from the Forbidden City, and is close to Zhongnanhai, the compound that houses the offices of China’s top political leadership. The tower is a prominent feature of the city skyline and its location places the crash site in a heavily trafficked urban core.
Flight tracking information reviewed after the event showed an aircraft with registration number B-12PP airborne at about 5:30 p.m. (0930 GMT) over Beijing’s northeastern suburbs. The tracking record indicated the aircraft circled widely before heading toward downtown Beijing, a distance of roughly 50 km, with data ceasing at 0955 GMT and coordinates placing it in the Chaoyang district at that time.
Technical data identify the aircraft as an Aurora SA60L light-sport model manufactured by Sunward. Records linked to that registration show an association with Dongshi Shuangyue General Aviation, a Beijing-based operator. A promotional video published by the company in 2024 presented flights under that registration and said a 30-minute sightseeing tour from the small Shifuosi airport cost 880 yuan, equivalent to about $129 at the cited exchange rate.
Reporting also indicated that a person familiar with the incident told a news outlet the aircraft belonged to the company. At the same time, officials and company representatives did not confirm ownership or operational control at the time of the accident. A Dongshi Shuangyue General Aviation employee contacted after the crash said she was unsure whether B-12PP belonged to the company and did not provide further detail. The company’s promotional video was removed from its social media account on the evening of the incident.
Dongshi Shuangyue advertises a range of services including low-altitude sightseeing flights, hands-on flight experience programs and aviation training out of the suburban Pinggu district, about 50 km from downtown Beijing. The company’s offerings and the presence of small civil aircraft operating near the capital now face scrutiny as investigators seek to determine what happened during the flight that ended at the tower.
Beijing’s last recorded aircraft crash occurred in 2022, when a tourist helicopter crashed during a flight between the Changping and Fangshan districts, killing the two pilots on board. Authorities have not linked the most recent incident to prior events, and the current investigation remains open.
As of the latest statements, emergency services continue to treat the injured and the Chaoyang district government is pursuing inquiries into the crash circumstances. The extent of any structural impact beyond the broken glass panels and the schedule for repairs to the tower have not been detailed by officials.
($1 = 6.7980 Chinese yuan renminbi)