Bangkok: A small plane crashed into the CITIC Tower, Beijing's tallest building, resulting in the death of one female pilot and injuring 13 others. According to Thai News Agency, the tragic event took place last Friday evening, June 26, when the aircraft, reportedly piloted by a female executive of a company located within the building, deliberately crashed into the 65th floor.

The incident occurred just before 6:00 PM when the small plane, approximately the size of a car, collided with the 108-story CITIC Tower, causing significant damage and debris to fall from the building. The crash shattered windows and activated fire alarms, leading to the evacuation of some individuals from the premises. Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and rescue personnel, quickly responded to the scene, and the surrounding area was promptly secured.

Images shared on social media identified the aircraft wreckage as a Sunward Aurora SA60L light-sport aircraft, with registration number B-12PP. This Chinese-made single-engine, twin-seat aircraft measures 6.9 meters in length, with a wingspan of 8.6 meters and weighs approximately 340 kilograms.

Local authorities in Chaoyang District confirmed the fatality through their WeChat account the following day, June 27. The pilot, who died instantly, was not officially identified. However, online sources suggest she was Liu Junhua, also known as Sabrina, an assistant general manager at CITIC Bank. Reports allege that she may have crashed the plane intentionally due to financial losses, as she had reportedly lost a significant amount of money in a stock market crash.

Despite the severity of the incident, Chinese authorities have maintained tight control over the dissemination of information, with no media coverage and restricted social media discussions on the topic. Searches related to the incident yield no results, reflecting the extent of censorship.

Such incidents are considered highly unusual in Beijing due to stringent airspace regulations, especially over the city center. Regular commercial flights are prohibited from flying through this airspace, and recent measures have further tightened control over aerial activities, including the sale and operation of drones.