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By Open Chronicle with Agencies
BEIJING, China, June 26, 2026 — A small aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, the CITIC Tower, on Friday evening, prompting a large emergency response, the evacuation of the building, and an extensive police operation around the Chinese capital’s central business district.
The aircraft, identified by local media as a domestically manufactured Sunward SA60L Aurora single-seat sport plane, collided with the 528-meter-tall skyscraper, also known as China Zun, scattering debris onto nearby streets and damaging the exterior of the 109-story building.
Authorities immediately cordoned off the surrounding area as firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene.
Small plane crashes into Beijing's tallest skyscraper, triggering mass evacuation https://t.co/mQOmbUvxBK pic.twitter.com/Ua5jWvmRLI
— New York Post (@nypost) June 26, 2026
Building evacuated after impact
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion shortly before emergency vehicles arrived.
Video recorded from neighboring buildings showed smoke rising from the upper section of the tower while firefighters directed powerful water streams toward the damaged facade.
Hundreds of office workers were evacuated from the building and gathered outside as emergency crews assessed the damage.
According to eyewitness accounts, the aircraft’s tail section fell onto a nearby roadway, while debris shattered at least one taxi windshield below.
Pilot’s fate remains unknown
The aircraft was reportedly registered to Shuangyue General Aviation, a regional aviation training company.
Authorities have not released information regarding the pilot’s identity or condition, and it remains unclear whether anyone else was on board.
There were no immediate official reports of casualties inside the skyscraper.
Damage is limited to the upper floors
Initial reports indicated that two glass panels on one of the tower’s upper floors were damaged where the aircraft struck the building.
Bright floodlights were later seen illuminating the impact site as repair teams began preliminary work overnight.
The CITIC Tower serves as the headquarters of the state-owned CITIC Group and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Beijing’s skyline.
Heavy police presence and restricted access
Roads surrounding the skyscraper were quickly closed to traffic as dozens of police vehicles and fire engines established a security perimeter.
Witnesses said officers prevented members of the public from photographing the scene, ordered some people to delete images already taken and instructed journalists and bystanders to leave the area.
When Reuters journalists asked why access was being restricted, one police officer reportedly replied, “We all know why.”
Images rapidly disappear from Chinese social media
Shortly after the incident, images and videos appearing on Chinese social media platforms began disappearing.
Searches for the building on the popular social media platform Xiaohongshu reportedly returned only posts published before the crash, while recent content related to the incident appeared to have been removed.
Witnesses told journalists they deleted videos from their phones after fearing possible repercussions from authorities.
No official statement has been released
As of Friday evening, Beijing municipal authorities had not issued an official explanation for the incident, nor confirmed the cause of the crash.
Emergency services remained at the scene as investigators began examining the damaged aircraft and the surrounding area.
The incident has raised fresh questions about aviation safety over densely populated urban areas, particularly near critical government and commercial infrastructure in the Chinese capital.