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CNSmall aircraft hits Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, prompting evacuations - Videos posted to social media show the plane striking the upper floors of Citic Tower, scattering debris in central business district
Alyssa Chen in Hong Kong and Alcott Wei in Beijing
Published: 9:19pm, 26 Jun 2026 Updated: 9:27pm, 26 Jun 2026
Online photos show the registration number of a small aircraft that hit Beijing’s tallest building on Friday was B-12PPA. Photo: X /Takemikazuchi26
A light sport aircraft hit Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, Citic Tower, on Friday, triggering evacuations and scattering debris across the Chinese capital’s central business district.
It was not immediately clear whether the crash caused any casualties or how many people had been on board the aircraft. The origin of the aerial vehicle and the circumstances leading to the crash were also unknown.
Videos posted to social media showed the aircraft striking the upper floors of the 528-metre (1,732-foot) tower, with chunks of wreckage falling onto the surrounding pavement and green space. Additional footage showed occupants being evacuated from the building.
A woman surnamed Lin told the South China Morning Post that she had been urgently evacuated from the building at 6pm.
“I ran out without my ID card or bag,” she said.
A bystander who works in a nearby building said he had heard a loud noise at around 5.40pm, but added that he had not seen the crash. Police cordoned off the roads surrounding the site of the incident and dispersed the crowd, maintaining a heavy police presence around the skyscraper.
Several ambulances were also seen parked near the building.
Online photos of the wreckage showed the aircraft’s registration number was B-12PP, and Flightradar24 records identify the plane as a Sunward SA60L Aurora – a two-seat, single-engine light-sport aircraft made by China’s Starair Aircraft Co.
One social media post claimed the light sport aircraft was operated by a local company that offers private pilot training, aerial sightseeing and aircraft management. Calls to the company went unanswered on Friday night.
So far there has not been any official announcement about the incident. Posts about the crash were quickly removed from Chinese social media.
Damage is seen on the surface of Citic Tower in Beijing, China on Friday, June 26, 2026. Photo: AP
Flying any light sport aircraft in Beijing requires stringent approval from both the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Last month, Beijing enacted sweeping regulations on its airspace, effectively banning casual recreational flying and consumer drones. All outdoor flights require prior government and air traffic approval.
Flying, selling, renting or bringing drones or core components into the capital city is entirely prohibited, though Beijing has designated Yanqing district as a dedicated low-altitude flight and drone-testing zone.
China has been proactively developing its low-altitude economy – a sector encompassing manned and unmanned aerial activities including drone deliveries and urban logistics. China’s 2026 government work report officially designated the sector as a national “emerging pillar industry”.
Citic Tower serves as the headquarters for the China International Trust and Investment Corporation, one of China’s largest state-owned multinational conglomerates. Completed in late 2018, it is Beijing’s tallest building, surpassing the China World Trade Centre Tower III by around 190 metres.
We'll never know the true extent of this disaster. A whole ass space rocket blew up an entire Chinese town once and they said it killed like 20 people. It completely leveled the whole town and had a full tank of rocket fuel. I would not be surprised if they say nobody but the pilot died.
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