Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

A light aircraft crash into Beijing's tallest building on Friday killed the pilot and injured 13 people who were not on board, Reuters reported citing local government as saying.

The incident is unusual for the Chinese capital, where airspace is heavily restricted.

How many people died in the Beijing aircraft crash?

The Beijing aircraft crash killed one person, the pilot, and injured 13 others who were not on board the plane. Chaoyang district government said those injured are receiving medical treatment while authorities investigate the cause of the crash.

"A single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft collided with a high-rise building while flying near the East third ring road in Chaoyang, at 5:55 p.m. (0955 GMT) on June 26," the district government said in a statement posted on social media on Saturday. "There was only one person on board, the pilot, who died," the statement added, without giving further details on the possible cause.

Which Beijing building was hit by the aircraft?

Damage to the facade of the skyscraper appeared to be limited to a hole caused by the loss of two large glass panels. The gap had been temporarily boarded up as of Saturday.

Reuters reported on Friday that the crash hit the 528 metre high building known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, located in Beijing's Central Business District. It is about 6 km (3.7 miles) from the Forbidden City, visited by thousands of tourists each day, and is also near Zhongnanhai, a compound that houses the offices of China's top political leadership.

Why is this aircraft crash unusual for Beijing?

The incident follows Beijing's ban since May on buying, renting or flying drones without authorization, due to public security concerns. Such crashes are rare in the capital, given its heavily restricted airspace and proximity to sensitive government sites.

The last aircraft crash in Beijing was in 2022, when a tourist helicopter crashed during a flight between the Changping and Fangshan districts, killing the two pilots on board.