A pilot was killed and 13 people were injured after a two-seat light sport aircraft crashed into a high-rise building in Beijing’s Chaoyang district on Friday evening, Chinese authorities said on Saturday.
The aircraft collided with the building near the East Third Ring Road at about 5.55 pm, according to a brief statement issued by district authorities on Saturday. The pilot, who was the only person on board, died in the crash.
Authorities did not identify the pilot or the building involved. However, flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said the aircraft struck the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, Beijing’s tallest building at 528 metres.
The 108-storey skyscraper, one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, stands in the central business district east of the capital’s Third Ring Road.
Flightradar24 identified the aircraft as a Sunward SA60L Aurora, which had taken off from an airport about 50 kilometres east of Beijing before flying west towards the city.
Photographs taken on Saturday showed visible damage to one side of the tower’s glass façade, with a hole apparently covered after the crash.
Authorities said all 13 injured people were receiving medical treatment but did not clarify whether they had been inside the building or were struck by falling debris.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. An investigation has been launched.
The incident occurred in a city that maintains some of the world’s strictest airspace controls, including tight restrictions on private aircraft and a recent ban on drones.
The CITIC Tower is located around a 20-minute drive from Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of China’s top leadership, and close to several key government and commercial districts.
Social media posts about the crash were reportedly removed from Chinese online platforms soon after the incident, although videos and images circulated on overseas social media sites.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft was operated by Dongshi Shuangyue (Beijing) General Aviation, which provides pilot training and sightseeing flights.
The SA60L Aurora, manufactured by Hunan-based Starair Aircraft, is among China’s most widely used light sport aircraft and has also been exported to Australia and the United States.
