Overview
- Witnesses and journalists recorded a breach in the upper floors and videos showed debris falling after a light single‑engine sport plane hit the 528‑metre Citic Tower on Friday.
- Authorities ordered a full evacuation of the 108‑floor tower and deployed fire, police and rescue teams to the scene.
- Local Chaoyang officials confirmed the pilot, who was the only person aboard, died and 13 people were injured at the site.
- Investigators from competent services have opened a probe into how the aircraft reached Beijing’s restricted airspace and struck a high‑rise.
- Reporting and social‑media posts about the incident were quickly limited by authorities, and the tower’s role as a home to major firms adds sensitivity to the investigation and business disruption.