Beijing says pilot who crashed into city’s tallest tower had written about suicide and acted for ‘personal reasons’
Chinese authorities said the pilot who flew a light plane into the 108-storey CITIC Tower last week had long suffered from insomnia and anxiety and had repeatedly written about ending his life. The crash killed the 66-year-old and injured 13 others.
The crash
On the evening of Friday 26 June 2026, a small plane struck the CITIC Tower – Beijing’s tallest building, nicknamed “Zun” after the ancient Chinese wine vessel its shape evokes. The impact tore a hole in the glass facade and scattered debris onto the streets of the capital’s central business district at around 6 pm, as office workers were leaving for the day. The pilot, later identified only by the surname Liu, was killed instantly. Thirteen other people were hurt; none suffered life-threatening injuries and one has already been discharged.
Videos of the collision spread rapidly on Chinese social media before being removed. Photographs and memes of unrelated skyscrapers were also deleted, and within days at least three airlines told the BBC they had been ordered to suspend light-aircraft operations.
Investigation findings
On Thursday 2 July, the Chaoyang district government published a statement confirming the cause of the crash.
After a comprehensive investigation, it was determined that this is a case endangering public security caused by personal reasons.
Liu, a 66-year-old Beijing native, was unemployed, divorced and living alone. According to the authorities he had long suffered from insomnia and anxiety. His diary, they noted, contained multiple references to committing suicide.
The flight
Earlier that afternoon Liu had taken off from a general aviation airport in Pinggu, a suburban district in the northeast of Beijing. He first flew a training session accompanied by an instructor aboard a two-seat aircraft, then departed on a solo flight. During the solo leg he deviated from the designated flight area and lost contact with the airport. Moments later his plane crashed into the high-rise.
The pilot had obtained a sport flying licence in 2021 and a private pilot licence in 2024. The aircraft involved, according to tracking service Flightradar24 and other records, was a single-engine, two-seat Sunward SA 60L Aurora with registration B-12PP.
- Liu obtains a sport pilot licence.
- Liu obtains a private pilot licence.
- Pilot takes off from Pinggu general aviation airport with an instructor for a training flight.
- Pilot departs on a solo flight after the accompanied session.
- Pilot deviates from the designated flight area and loses contact with the airport.
- Aircraft crashes into the CITIC Tower; the pilot dies on the spot and 13 people are injured.
Security questions
The crash occurred in a capital under extremely tight security controls. The CITIC Tower sits less than seven kilometres from the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, the heart of China’s political power. The incident prompted criticism from observers who viewed it as a significant security lapse, though authorities have attributed the event solely to the pilot’s personal motives.
