ToplineA small plane flew into Beijing's Citic Tower on Friday—the city's tallest building—and dramatic video shared on social media shows debris plummeting dozens of stories onto streets where pedestrians fled to avoid being hit by falling glass and other rubble. The Citic Tower, also known as the Zun Tower. was hit by a small plane on Friday, June 26, 2026. dpa/picture alliance via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe plane appears to be a Sunward SA 60L Aurora owned by a local aviation company, according to CNN, a light-sport aircraft that holds only two people.Information posted online by Flightradar24, which has not been verified, suggests the plane had significantly deviated from its planned flight path. It’s unclear how many people were injured in the crash, and to what extent. Also known as China Zun, the 109-story skyscraper is the headquarters of Citic Group, a state-owned financial conglomerate. Key backgroundThe Civil Aviation Administration of China enforces some of the strictest security measures in the world in Beijing's airspace. Commercial flights often have to take long, indirect detours to avoid central Beijing, and drones have been effectively prohibited in the city for months. It’s virtually impossible for private pilots to casually fly into Beijing without prior authorization and, unlike in the U.S. or Europe, pilots cannot file a spontaneous flight plan without explicit state approval. Much of the airspace surrounding the capital city is entirely off-limits to recreational single-engine planes and pilots who do get permits are required to follow exact, pre-approved flight corridors.