Pilot who hit Beijing tower wrote about ending life - Govt

A hole is seen (R) on the side of the CITIC Tower in Beijing on June 26, 2026, after an eyewitness reported plane debris at the base of Beijing's tallest building. Photo: PETER CATTERALL / AFP

The pilot who died after crashing a small plane into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, injuring 13 people, had mental health issues and had written about suicide in his diary, authorities said Thursday.

The 66-year-old man flew a light aircraft into the 528-metre (1,732-foot) CITIC Tower in Beijing’s Central Business District on Friday at 5:55 pm (0955 GMT).

The plane crash raised questions about aviation safety in tightly secured Beijing, with the CITIC skyscraper around seven kilometres (4.3 miles) away from Zhongnanhai, the government compound which houses top Chinese leaders.

AFP journalists at the scene had seen a hole in the windows of one of the building’s upper floors, with witnesses reporting plane debris and a small fire at the foot of the tower.