A Sunward SA 60L Light Aircraft Struck the 528-Metre CITIC Tower in Beijing at 6PM Local Time, Sending Debris Onto Streets Below
Small Aircraft Crashes Into Beijing’s 109-Story CITIC Tower as China Scrubs Videos Online. A Sunward SA 60L Light Aircraft Struck the 528-Metre CITIC Tower in Beijing at 6PM Local Time, Sending Debris Onto Streets Below.
ABC News reports that a small aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper on June 26, striking the 109-story CITIC Tower known as China Zun in the Chinese capital’s central business district, sending large chunks of debris and plane parts plummeting onto streets below and forcing crowds to flee.
The Aircraft Identified as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora Departed Shifosi Airport and Struck the Upper Section of the 528-Metre Tower
The aircraft has been identified as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, registration B-12PP, a Chinese-built light sport aircraft. It hit the upper section of the tower at around 18:00 local time after departing from Shifosi Airport approximately 50 kilometres east of Beijing. Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 appeared to show a severely deviated flight path after takeoff. A fire alarm was triggered, and a heavy police, fire, and ambulance presence was reported outside the building.
Chinese Authorities Have Issued No Statement, With Videos and Images of the Crash Actively Scrubbed From Chinese Internet
Authorities have yet to address the incident, and videos, images, and search results about the crash are being actively scrubbed from the Chinese internet. The number of people on board and whether anyone was injured had not been confirmed.
A plane hitting a skyscraper in one of the world’s most tightly controlled capital airspaces and the government saying nothing, is not a small story. Check out our previous coverage of China and international news here.
