Small aircraft crashes into Beijing’s tallest building, eyewitnesses say

Small aircraft crashes into Beijing’s tallest building, eyewitnesses say

A small aircraft crashed into the CITIC Tower on Friday, June 26, 2026, striking the tallest building in Beijing. The skyscraper, also known as China Zun, serves as the headquarters for the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group and stands 108 storeys tall, rising more than 1,700 feet (528 meters) in the city's central business district.

The global flight tracking service provider Flightradar24 confirmed the incident. According to data from the provider, the aircraft was a Sunward SA 60L Aurora. The plane took off from an airport located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Beijing, flew westward, and ended its flight just east of the East Third Ring Road shortly before 6 p.m. Local time.

Witnesses described the aircraft as being about the size of a car. One courier told Reuters he rushed to the tower after hearing a loud crash around 6 p.m. And recorded a video showing the aircraft sticking out of the building, though he later deleted the footage for fear of police. Another witness, an office worker in a nearby building, reported seeing a blue tarp covering a large object the size of a VW Beetle on the road beside the skyscraper at approximately 6:45 p.m.

The impact damaged the facade of the tower. Photos from the Associated Press show a hole in the glass, and reports indicate two glass panels on a high floor were damaged. An individual working inside the building told the Associated Press that a fire alarm was triggered following the crash. The source spoke anonymously, citing fear of retaliation.

Authorities responded with a heavy presence of dozens of police cars, several fire trucks, and ambulances. Police closed approach roads and actively prevented bystanders from documenting the scene. According to witness accounts, officers ushered people away from the building and instructed some to delete photographs they had already taken.

When Reuters journalists were told to leave the area, a police officer replied: We all know why!

The incident occurred in an area with strict airspace controls. Last month, Beijing authorities implemented new curbs that effectively banned the operation and sale of consumer drones within the capital. A bystander told Reuters that it is very strange for a plane to fly into that specific area.

Chinese authorities and state media have not issued official statements regarding the crash. Beijing’s municipal government did not respond to a faxed request for comment from Reuters. Information regarding the pilot and whether there were on-ground casualties remains unavailable.

Digital evidence of the crash was quickly suppressed within China. Posts about the building on the Xiaohongshu app, also known as Red Note, were removed, with searches returning only posts dated Thursday, June 25, 2026. While footage has circulated on overseas sites such as X.com, the authenticity of some social media images cannot be independently confirmed. However, one image of the wreckage shows a partial registration number of B-12; the full registration of the aircraft is B-12PP.