Mystery grows after plane hits Beijing's tallest building leaving one dead, 13 injured

An aircraft crashed into the 109-story CITIC Tower, Beijing’s tallest building, on Friday evening, June 26.

The craft killed the pilot and injured 13 people in a rare, unsettling incident that raised questions about security in China’s heavily restricted capital.

The plane was a single-engine, two-seat Aurora SA60L sport aircraft. It hit the 528-meter (1.732ft) skyscraper around 5:55 p.m. local time near the East Third Ring Road in Chaoyang District.

The skyscraper known as China Zun is located in Beijing’s Central Business District, roughly 6km from the Forbidden City and near Zhongnanhai, the compound housing China’s top political leadership.

The officials confirmed that only the pilot was on board and died in the crash. Additionally, around 13 people got injured.

As of now, the cause of the crash remains under investigation, sparking concerns due to Beijing’s notoriously tight airspace controls.

Operating any aircraft in the capital must be cleared by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

The flight tracking information provided by Flightradar24 reveals that the aircraft, which was marked as B-12PP, departed Shifosi Airport, located in Beijing's eastern district of Pinggu and flew in a broad circular motion to fly towards downtown, which is about 50 kilometres away from where it started. The flight tracking ended at the Chaoyang district of Beijing.

The plane was owned by Beijing-based Dongshi Shuangyue General Aviation, a company offering sightseeing tours and flight training.