Pilot crashed plane into skyscraper for personal reasons, says China
Jul 03, 2026
Beijing [China], July 3: The pilot who crashed a small plane into Beijing's tallest skyscraper last week acted for "personal reasons" and had long suffered from insomnia and anxiety, Chinese authorities said on Thursday.
The Chaoyang district government described the man as a 66-year-old divorced freelancer from Beijing who lived alone and had held a sport flying licence since 2021.
He was killed when his Chinese-made Aurora SA60L light aircraft slammed into the 528-metre China Zun tower last Friday, injuring 13 other people.
Investigators said the pilot took off from the eastern district of Pinggu before leaving his designated flight area and losing contact with air traffic authorities shortly before the crash.
Authorities added that entries in his personal diaries included expressions of "ending his life." Crash near political centre The highly unusual incident raised questions about security in Beijing, one of the world's most tightly monitored capitals.
Central Beijing is a military-controlled no-fly zone where flights are only permitted with official authorization.
The crash site is close to the headquarters of state broadcaster CCTV and only a few kilometres from the Forbidden City and Zhongnanhai, the government compound and political centre of the ruling Communist Party.
Source: Qatar Tribune
