A plane crashed into the 109-story CITIC Tower, the tallest building in Beijing, on Friday afternoon, June 26.
The plane killed the pilot and injured 13 people in a rare and disturbing incident that raised questions about security in China’s heavily restricted capital.
The aircraft was a single-engine, two-seat Aurora SA60L sports aircraft. It hit the 528-meter (1,732-foot) skyscraper at around 5:55 p.m. local time near the East Third Ring Road in Chaoyang district.
The skyscraper known as China Zun is located in the Central Business District of Beijing, approximately 6 kilometers from the Forbidden City and near Zhongnanhai, the complex that houses China’s top political leaders.
Authorities confirmed that only the pilot was on board and died in the accident. In addition, about 13 people were injured.
For now, the cause of the crash remains under investigation, raising concerns due to Beijing’s notoriously strict airspace controls.
Operating any aircraft in the capital must be authorized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Flight tracking information provided by Flightradar24 reveals that the plane, which was marked B-12PP, departed from Shifosi Airport, located in the eastern Pinggu district of Beijing and flew in a wide circular motion to fly towards the center, which is about 50 kilometers from where it started. Flight tracking ended in Beijing’s Chaoyang district.
The plane was owned by Beijing-based Dongshi Shuangyue General Aviation, a company that offers sightseeing tours and flight training.
