China says Beijing skyscraper plane crash was a deliberate act
Chinese authorities said the small aircraft that struck the 109-story CITIC Tower — Beijing’s tallest building, in the city’s central business district — on 26 June was flown into it deliberately, offering their first official account nearly a week after the crash. Investigators identified the pilot as a 66-year-old Beijing resident, surnamed Liu, who lived alone and had a history of insomnia and anxiety; diary entries recovered afterward recorded suicidal thoughts.
The statement described the incident as “endangering public safety caused by personal reasons.” The pilot died and 13 people on the ground were injured by falling debris. The week-long gap before an explanation, in a tightly controlled information environment, had fueled speculation about an event that played out in one of the capital’s most prominent locations.