Beijing plane crash: Small aircraft hits CITIC Tower as police seal roads

Last updated: June 27, 2026, 1:04am AEST

A small aircraft crashed into Beijing's CITIC Tower on Friday evening, striking the city's tallest skyscraper in the central business district around 6pm local time. Police cordoned off surrounding roads, fire trucks and ambulances gathered near the tower, and witnesses said officers stopped people from filming or taking photos.

The cause of the crash has not been disclosed, and Chinese authorities had not issued an official statement in the material available from the scene. It was also not confirmed whether anyone was killed or injured, either inside the aircraft, inside the tower, or on the streets below.

The Full Story

The incident unfolded on Friday evening in Beijing's central business district, where CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, rises above a cluster of skyscrapers. Witnesses told Reuters and the Associated Press that an aircraft roughly the size of a car hit the tower, damaging glass panels high on the building before debris fell to the street.

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 identified the aircraft as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora light aircraft. According to reports based on its posted flight path, the plane took off from an airport about 50 kilometres east of Beijing, headed west, and ended just east of the East Third Ring Road shortly before 6pm local time.

Images and footage described by several outlets showed shattered glass, debris falling, and wreckage near the building. ABC News said videos it verified showed the aircraft striking a high floor, spinning downward and crashing to the ground in front of the tower's entrance. The Sydney Morning Herald reported images showed the registration code B-12PP, and Flightradar24 records linked the aircraft to a two-seat Sunward SA 60L Aurora light aircraft.

On the ground, the response was swift and tightly controlled. Reuters reported a heavy police presence, closed approach roads and officers preventing passers-by from taking pictures. One courier said he heard the crash from nearby and rushed over, describing the sound as louder than fireworks. He said he deleted video of the aircraft because he was afraid of being caught by police.

Who's Involved

The crash centred on CITIC Tower, the 108-storey skyscraper in Beijing's central business district and the headquarters of the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group. The building is also known as China Zun because its shape resembles an ancient Chinese wine vessel.

Flightradar24, a global flight tracking service, posted the aircraft's flight path and said the plane crashed into CITIC Tower. Witnesses, office workers and couriers supplied much of the early detail because Chinese authorities had not issued an immediate public statement in the available reports.

Emergency services were also present at the scene. Reports described dozens of police cars, several fire trucks, ambulances and security cordons around the skyscraper. A person working inside the building told AP that an aircraft crashed into the tower and that a fire alarm was triggered.

By the Numbers

The scale of the setting is part of why the incident drew international attention. CITIC Tower is described in the sources as a 108-storey skyscraper, with some reports also referring to it as 109 storeys. Its height was reported as 528 metres or about 1,700 feet, making it Beijing's tallest building.

The aircraft was reported to have departed from an airport about 50 kilometres east of Beijing. News.com.au reported it had taken off around 30 minutes before the crash and had been scheduled to return to the same airport before it strayed from its planned flight path.

The time matters because the crash happened in an area where airspace is heavily restricted. Several reports noted that Beijing authorities had recently tightened already strict airspace controls, including curbs on consumer drones in the capital.

What This Means

For Beijing, the crash raises immediate safety questions about how a small aircraft reached a dense business district and struck a major landmark. The unanswered issue is not just what caused the aircraft to hit the tower, but how it travelled into such a tightly controlled part of the city.

The public information gap is also significant. Multiple reports said posts about the crash were quickly removed from Chinese social media, while police at the scene told people to stop taking photos or delete footage. That matters for people trying to understand whether the area is safe, whether there were casualties and whether transport or business access around the district remains disrupted.

For Australians, the direct impact is mainly travel and situational awareness. Anyone with family, work contacts or travel plans in Beijing will be watching for official confirmation on casualties, road closures and any wider airspace or security response. Until authorities release more detail, the most reliable picture comes from verified footage, flight tracking data and on-the-ground reporting by news agencies.

What to Expect

The next confirmed development to watch is an official statement from Chinese authorities. The key unknowns are the cause of the crash, who was on board, whether there were injuries or deaths, and how the aircraft entered the area around the central business district.

Further updates may also come from flight tracking data, emergency services activity at CITIC Tower and reporting from news agencies with journalists near the scene. Roads around the tower were closed after the crash, but the duration of those closures had not been confirmed in the provided reports.

People Also Ask

What building did the plane hit in Beijing?

The aircraft hit CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, in Beijing's central business district. The skyscraper is the headquarters of the state-owned CITIC Group and is described as Beijing's tallest building.

When did the Beijing plane crash happen?

The crash happened on Friday evening, June 26, 2026, at around 6pm local time in Beijing. Australian reports placed that at about 8pm AEST.

What kind of aircraft crashed into CITIC Tower?

Flightradar24 identified the aircraft as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora light aircraft. Reports also linked the visible registration code to B-12PP.

Were there any casualties in the Beijing crash?

Casualties had not been confirmed in the provided reports. Several outlets said it was not known whether anyone was killed or injured, and Chinese authorities had not issued an immediate statement.

Why is the Beijing crash getting so much attention?

The crash involved a small aircraft striking the tallest building in Beijing, inside a heavily controlled urban airspace. Police cordons, deleted social media posts and the lack of an immediate official statement added to public interest in what happened.

Was the crash accidental?

The cause of the crash had not been disclosed in the available reporting. The Sydney Morning Herald reported it was unclear whether the crash was deliberate or accidental.