Small aircraft crashes into Beijing’s tallest building, videos show

Small aircraft crashes into Beijing’s tallest building, videos show

A small aircraft crashed into the CITIC Tower, the tallest building in Beijing, on Friday, June 26, 2026. The aircraft struck a high floor of the skyscraper before spinning downward and crashing to the ground in front of the building's entrance, according to eyewitnesses and videos verified by ABC News.

The aircraft, identified by the global flight tracking service provider Flightradar24 as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, took off from an airport approximately 30 miles east of the city. Flight data shows the plane headed westward, ending its flight just east of the East Third Ring Road shortly before 6 p.m. Local time. While the full registration of the aircraft is B-12PP, one image of the wreckage shows a partial registration of B-12.

The CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, is a 108-story mixed-use skyscraper featuring hotel rooms, luxury apartments, and offices. Shaped like an ancient Chinese wine vessel, the building stands 1,732 feet (528 meters) tall, making it the 10th tallest building in the world. It serves as the headquarters for the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group. Photos by the Associated Press and AFP show what appears to be a hole or broken glass in the facade on one side of the tower.

Witnesses and employees reported immediate chaos following the impact. One person working in the building told the Associated Press that the crash triggered the building's fire alarms. Other footage captured from a nearby building showed fire trucks blasting water at smoke billowing from the tower while the wreck of the aircraft lay on the ground. Reuters reported that eyewitnesses described the aircraft as being the size of a car.

A heavy emergency response followed the crash, with police, fire engines, and ambulances spotted outside the building. Police personnel were seen blocking roads and preventing onlookers from photographing the scene, asking witnesses to leave the area.

Despite the visibility of the crash in the business district, Chinese authorities have not issued a statement, and state media has not reported the incident. Evidence of a coordinated information blackout is apparent, as social media posts, images, and search results regarding the crash have been scrubbed from the Chinese internet. However, footage has circulated on overseas platforms such as X.com after escaping the country's firewall.

The cause of the crash and the identity of the pilot remain unknown. There has been no immediate information regarding on-ground casualties.

The incident occurs amid a period of tightening airspace restrictions in the capital. Last month, Beijing authorities enacted new curbs on regulated airspace, which effectively banned the sale and operation of consumer drones within the city, citing public safety concerns.

As of Friday afternoon, government officials have provided no official account of the event or the status of those involved.