Officials in Beijing have pinned a deadly crash into the tallest skyscraper in the city on a pilot thought to have been battling anxiety, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts.
A single-engine light aircraft slammed into the 109-story CITIC Tower—known locally as China Zun—on June 26. The impact killed its pilot and injured 13 people at the height of Friday evening rush hour.
Video of the incident shows debris falling onto the streets below. The skyscraper serves as headquarters for CITIC Group, a giant state-owned conglomerate.
The Chaoyang district government has identified the flier only as a 66-year-old man surnamed Liu, who was self-employed, divorced, and living alone, according to the New York Times. A statement from authorities casts the disaster as a case of “endangering public safety caused by personal reasons.”
Investigators found that Liu had spelled out a wish to die in his journals, the newspaper reports. He had departed an airfield in the city’s Pinggu district on Friday afternoon, then strayed from his approved flying zone and lost contact before striking the tower. Chinese authorities took nearly a full day to confirm the crash, even as footage circulated quickly online.
CITIC put out a video rebutting online rumors that one of its wealth managers had been at the controls. All references to the incident have since been scrubbed from the country’s tightly policed internet.
The disaster has similarities to the tragedy of China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735, the Boeing 737 that plunged into a Guangxi mountainside in March 2022, killing all 132 aboard. U.S. investigators later pointed to a deliberate act in the cockpit—findings Beijing stands accused of burying, as the Beast reported.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
