Small plane slams into Beijing's tallest skyscraper, but hours later, it was like nothing happened

A small aircraft tragically crashed into Beijing's tallest building, the Citic Tower, on Friday, June 26, 2026. The incident, involving a two-seat Sunward SA60L Aurora light sport aircraft, resulted in the death of the pilot, who was the sole occupant onboard.

Emergency services quickly responded to the scene, evacuating the skyscraper and cordoning off the surrounding area in Beijing's central business district. While 13 individuals on the ground or within the building sustained injuries, the prompt containment efforts by authorities were evident. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash, which occurred despite Beijing's notoriously strict airspace regulations. Social media content related to the incident was reportedly subject to rapid censorship within China.