Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Chinese authorities said on Saturday that a small plane that crashed into a high-rise building in Beijing on Friday killed the pilot and injured 13 others. The crash took place in the Chaoyang district, and officials said an investigation is under way.
District authorities said the two-seat light sport aircraft hit the building near the East Third Ring Road at 5.55 pm on Friday. They did not identify the building or the pilot, and said the pilot was the only person on board.
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Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said on Friday that the plane crashed into the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, a 108-storey skyscraper that is the tallest building in Beijing. The company also posted the flight path of the aircraft, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, showing that it took off from an airport about 50 kilometres east of Beijing, flew westward and stopped just east of the East Third Ring Road.
Associated Press photographs taken on Saturday showed what appeared to be crash marks on the glass facade on one side of the tower, with a hole later covered up. Authorities said it was not immediately known what caused the crash in a city with strict airspace controls, including a recent ban on drones.
Officials said the injured were receiving treatment, though it was not clear whether they were inside the building or were hit by debris. The CITIC Tower stands in a cluster of skyscrapers and is about a 20-minute drive from Zhongnanhai, which serves as the headquarters of China’s top leadership, and about 15 minutes from the Forbidden City.
Posts about the crash were removed from Chinese social media on Friday, though footage has circulated on overseas platforms such as X. A Caixin report on the casualties was no longer accessible on Saturday. Images and videos shared online appeared to show debris from a small aircraft near the skyscraper, but their authenticity could not be independently confirmed. One image showed a partial registration number, B-12, while the full registration number of the aircraft is B-12PP.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft was operated by Shuangyue General Aviation, apparently referring to Dongshi Shuangyue (Beijing) General Aviation, whose website was not accessible on Saturday. An online platform citing official data said the company offers services including private pilot training and aerial sightseeing tours. The SA 60L is made by Hunan-based Starair Aircraft, whose website says the single-engine model accounts for more than 70 per cent of China’s light sport aircraft market and has been exported to Australia and the United States. The website lists its maximum cruise speed as 220 kmph and its maximum take-off weight as 600 kg.
Authorities said the Beijing crash killed the pilot and injured 13 others, while questions remain over how the aircraft struck the skyscraper and whether those hurt were inside the building or hit by falling debris.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
