BEIJING — A light sport aircraft crashed into the upper floors of Beijing’s tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering an immediate evacuation of the building and a massive emergency response in the heart of China’s capital.
The aircraft, identified as a Chinese-manufactured Sunward SA60L Aurora, struck the 109-story CITIC Tower—famously known as “China Zun”—at approximately 6:00 PM local time. Witnesses reported hearing a thunderous impact as the single-engine, two-seat plane collided with the upper structure of the 1,732-foot (528-meter) skyscraper in Beijing’s Central Business District.
The plane, bearing registration B-12PP, reportedly broke apart upon impact. Dramatic videos and photos circulating briefly on social media showed debris raining down onto the streets below, including what appeared to be the aircraft’s tail section. At least one taxi on the ground suffered a shattered window from the falling wreckage, and structural damage—including multiple broken glass panels—was visible on the side of the tower.
Emergency crews, including dozens of fire engines, police vehicles, and ambulances, quickly swarmed the scene. Authorities cordoned off surrounding roads, dispersed crowds, and initiated a full evacuation of the tower, which serves as the headquarters for the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group.
Unverified flight-tracking data suggests the aircraft had severely deviated from its planned flight path prior to the collision. Under strict local aviation laws, all light aircraft operations in Beijing require explicit approval from both the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
As of Friday night, Chinese authorities had not released an official statement regarding casualties or the exact number of people on board the aircraft, though preliminary reports indicate only the pilot was inside at the time. Meanwhile, local police heavily restricted bystanders from filming the aftermath, and references to the incident were rapidly scrubbed from domestic social media platforms.
