Skyfall: Pilot Crashes Beijing’s Tallest Tower Over Personal Struggles

Sun Sep 06 2026 12:43:06 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A 66‑year‑old pilot deliberately crashed a small plane into Beijing’s CITIC Tower, killing himself and injuring others, sparking a security review.

A 66‑year‑old pilot named Liu took a small Aurora SA60L into Beijing’s 109‑storey CITIC Tower on 2 July. Liu’s chronic insomnia and anxiety pushed him to crash the plane for personal reasons, killing himself and creating 13 injuries. Authorities filed a case of endangering public safety caused by personal reasons, while flights of light aircraft were suspended. The incident prompted a security sweep of aviation companies and the removal of related content from Chinese social media.

On 2 July, a 66‑year‑old pilot named Liu from Beijing flew a small two‑seat Aurora SA60L into the CITIC Tower, Beijing’s 109‑storey flagship building.

Authorities say Liu was suffering from chronic insomnia and anxiety, and that he deliberately crashed the plane for &'apos;personal reasons'. The impact killed him and left 13 people injured, one of whom has been discharged from the hospital.

In a statement, the Chaoyang district government disclosed that Liu’s diary contained multiple expressions of ending his life. They labelled the incident a case of endangering public safety caused by personal reasons.

The crash occurred after Liu had taken off from a local airport and lost contact while flying solo. His sports and private pilot licences were issued in 2021 and 2024, respectively.

Since the event, the CITIC Tower has become a flashpoint for online censorship; photos and memes of the building were removed from Chinese social media. A security sweep of aviation firms followed, with at least three companies suspending light‑aircraft operations.

Experts note that the Aurora SA60L, measuring 6.9 m long and 8.6 m wingspan, is designed for touring and aerial photography. Its crash into the high‑rise suggests a serious breach of aviation safety protocols.