Event: VideoDebris Falls

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Crowds in the capital’s central business district fled as the crash sent debris falling into the streets below.VideoDebris Falls From the Sky After Plane Crash in BeijingA lightweight aircraft registered to the airline Shuangyue General Aviation crashed into the Citic Tower in Beijing on Friday. The cause of the crash is unknown.CreditCredit...Maxim Shemetov/ReutersJune 26, 2026A small aircraft flew into the tallest building in Beijing on Friday, sending huge hunks of debris and plane parts plummeting onto the streets below and prompting crowds to flee.Video shared on social media and verified by The New York Times showed debris falling from the skyscraper, as people ran to safety. The footage showed broken windows and debris, including what appeared to be the tail of a small aircraft, falling dozens of stories into the street below.The building is in the capital’s busy central business district, which was clogged with cars at evening rush hour. It was not immediately clear how many people were injured, if any were. The whereabouts and identity of the pilot were also unknown.Photos posted to social media from the site showed parts of an aircraft that appeared to be a lightweight model with only a few seats, registered to the airline Shuangyue General Aviation, a regional flight training provider. Calls to the company went unanswered.Data from FlightRadar, a flight tracking website, showed that the plane took off from an airfield in Beijing’s eastern Pinggu district. The plane circled the area before flying west into the city center.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The…