Small sport aircraft crashes into Beijing’s tallest Citic Tower

A light sport aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, the 528-metre Citic Tower, on Friday, scattering debris across the city’s central business district and prompting mass evacuation.

Beijing: A light sport aircraft crashed on Friday into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, the Citic Tower, in the city’s prominent business district, triggering concerns in the Chinese capital.

It was not immediately clear whether the crash caused any casualties or the number of people on board the aircraft — debris of which was scattered across Beijing’s central business district.

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The aircraft smashed into the high-rise building, which is the headquarters of the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group, prompting the immediate evacuation of a large number of people working there.

Videos posted on social media showed the aircraft striking the upper floors of the 528-metre tower, with debris raining down onto the surrounding pavement and green space, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The building is located close to the state-run CCTV headquarters.

While the front section of the plane, which is the size of a car, broke through the windows of the building, its tail portion fell on the ground.

Eyewitness accounts spoke of the plane hitting the building with a loud

noise.

The scene was quickly cleared, and a large number of police personnel were deployed to prevent people from entering the lane. Despite the heavy security presence, crowds continued to gather around the area.

The origin of the plane and the circumstances leading to the crash are not known yet.

Officials have not yet commented on the incident, nor has the state-run media reported till late in the night.

According to the Post report, 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.

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.