Chinese authorities revealed on Thursday that the pilot who crashed a light plane into Beijing’s tallest building last week had long suffered from anxiety and repeatedly wrote about “ending his life” in his diary, and investigators concluded that the accident was due to “personal reasons.”These results come about a week after the incident, which raised security concerns in the Chinese capital. The report is based on a statement issued by the Chaoyang District government in Beijing and reports from the South China Morning Post.According to the investigation published by the regional government, the incident that occurred on June 26 “was determined to be a case of endangering public safety for personal reasons.”The pilot, identified only by his surname Liu, was killed when the two-seat plane struck the headquarters of state-owned CITIC Group, also known as China Zone, while 13 others were injured.
At 528 meters (1,732 ft) high, the tower is the tallest in the capital. Authorities said none of the injuries were life-threatening, and one of the injured has since been released.Liu, a 66-year-old resident of Beijing, is divorced, self-employed and lives alone, the Chaoyang District government said. He obtained his sports pilot license in 2021 and his private pilot license in 2024.Investigators said Liu had been suffering from “insomnia and anxiety for a long time, and his diaries contained repeated references to ending his life.”
According to the official statement, Liu took off from a general aviation airport in the Pinghu area east of Beijing after first completing an escorted flight.“Liu first carried out an accompanied flight before taking off alone. During the solo flight, he left the designated operations area and lost contact with the airport before the plane collided with the skyscraper,” the statement said.The aircraft in question was identified as an Aurora SA60L, a single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft.The accident occurred at around 6pm in Beijing’s central business district, punching a hole in the glass facade of the 108-storey CITIC Tower, forcing the building to be evacuated. Debris also fell on nearby streets and green spaces.The incident raised questions about aviation security because the plane entered one of the most sensitive areas of the Chinese capital, close to key government areas, including Zhongnanhai and the Great Hall of the People.According to the South China Morning Post, the regional government’s statement did not explain how the plane was able to fly from Pinghu to central Beijing. Online posts and photos related to the incident were quickly removed from Chinese social media platforms, the newspaper reported.The incident also drew attention to China’s tightly controlled airspace. Flying light sport aircraft in Beijing requires approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Last month, Beijing introduced sweeping new airspace regulations that require prior government and air navigation approval for all overseas flights, including recreational aircraft and consumer drones.
