Beijing Probe Says 66-Year-Old Pilot Deliberately Hit CITIC Tower, Wounding 13
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 2
Beijing Probe Says 66-Year-Old Pilot Deliberately Hit CITIC Tower, Wounding 13
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 2
Summary
Beijing authorities said pilot Liu crashed his small plane into the 109-storey CITIC Tower for “personal reasons,” killing himself and injuring 13 people in what they called a public-safety incident.
The Chaoyang district probe said the 66-year-old suffered chronic insomnia and anxiety, and his diary contained multiple references to ending his life.
Officials said Liu took off from Pinggu, completed accompanied and solo flights, then veered out of the designated area, lost contact with the airport and struck the skyscraper; one injured person has since been discharged.
The crash near Zhongnanhai triggered scrutiny of aviation security and online censorship, with videos scrubbed from Chinese platforms and at least three aviation firms told to suspend light-aircraft operations.