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A small plane crashed into the tallest tower in Beijing, hours later everything was hidden, as if nothing had happened

2026-06-27 22:23:39Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
A small plane crashed into the tallest tower in Beijing, hours later everything
CITIC Tower

On Friday afternoon, a small plane crashed into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing, the 109-story CITIC Tower that dominates the city skyline, killing the pilot and injuring 13 other people.

The crash sent shards of glass and plane debris flying hundreds of meters down the road, causing panic in the heart of China's most heavily fortified city.

Shortly after, it was as if nothing had happened. All references to the incident and its shocking footage had been deleted from Chinese social media. The government initially refused to publicly acknowledge that any incident had occurred. State media, including the country's national broadcaster CCTV, headquartered across from the crash site, made no mention of the incident, CNN reports.

This is thanks to the work of China's army of 'censors' and the authorities' obsessive control over information, especially regarding events they believe could bring attention or negative consequences.

The information gap left a host of unanswered questions for those who witnessed the event or saw reports about it. For almost a day, it was not known how many people were injured in the incident.

On Saturday afternoon local time, Beijing government-affiliated media reported that a “single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft crashed into a tall building during flight” and that the pilot, the only person on board, was killed and 13 people were injured at the scene. The incident was being “investigated,” it said.

It is not yet known whether the collision was accidental or intentional.

Perhaps most worryingly for authorities, it has also raised questions about how the pilot managed to fly over China's fortified capital, where much of the Communist Party elite lives and where even drone flying is practically banned.

The accident happened late Friday afternoon during rush hour. Footage shared online in the brief window before censorship was put into effect showed a small plane crashing into the top floor of the building, also known as China Zun.

Online images showing the plane's registration code appeared to point to a locally manufactured light sport aircraft, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, owned by a local general aviation company, which offers services such as pilot training, personal recreational flights and aerial photography.

A small plane crashed into the tallest tower in Beijing, hours later everything

CNN saw crowds of people evacuating from the skyscraper gathered on the streets near the entrance, along with fire trucks, police cars and an ambulance.

The footage has gone viral on social media outside mainland China.

Domestically, a search for "Beijing plane crash" on Weibo, the Chinese version of X, yielded no relevant results.

It is common practice for Chinese authorities to act quickly to censor or impose an information blockade and deploy a heavy police presence for any incident seen as potentially destabilizing to social stability.

On Saturday, roads near the CITIC Tower were closed and police were on hand around the area. Only people who could prove they worked in the area were allowed in. Delivery drivers were stranded outside, waiting for employees to come out to collect their orders, according to a CNN reporter.

Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 posted online appears to show a severely deviated flight path for the plane after it took off from Beijing Capital International Airport.

Flying any light aircraft in Beijing requires approval from both the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Beijing passed a sweeping regulation last month to effectively ban casual recreational flights and consumer drones.

Deadly and highly public incidents in China are sometimes followed by official information gaps that can last for years.

Beijing has yet to offer any official explanation more than four years since a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 passenger jet crashed in the Guangxi region, killing 132 people, in the country's deadliest air disaster in decades.


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