Drama in Beijing: a light plane crashed into the tallest skyscraper in the city

A light plane crashed today (Friday) into the CITIC tower, the tallest skyscraper in Beijing. No injuries were reported in the incident, which took place in the heart of the central business district of the Chinese capital. Videos from the scene were circulated on social networks.

The videos show fragments falling from the tower, which rises 109 stories high and is also known as “China Zun”. A part of the plane’s tail and a shattered windshield of a taxi that was damaged by the wreckage were found on the ground. Eyewitnesses reported that a glass panel was missing on one of the higher floors of the building.

Following the collision, the security forces evacuated the occupants of the building and many rescue forces were called to the scene. A CNN journalist reported that the police blocked the roads leading to the tower and prevented passers-by from taking pictures of the scene. The tower is considered one of the prominent symbols in the city’s skyline.

Checking the registration code of the aircraft reveals that it is a locally manufactured Sunward SA 60L Aurora light sport aircraft belonging to a local airline. Data from the Flightradar24 website indicated that the plane was flying on a path that deviated severely from its planned route.

The case raised many questions in China, since since May 1 strict laws have been introduced in Beijing prohibiting the flying of drones without government approval. Now the authorities are investigating how the aircraft managed to penetrate the protected airspace of the capital and collide with the building. As of this moment, the Chinese authorities have not yet provided additional details about the circumstances of the incident.