Pilot Killed, 13 Injured in Beijing Skyscraper Plane Crash; Videos Disappear

A small plane crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others. Mysteriously, all videos and records of the incident disappeared just hours after it occurred.

27 Jun, 02:06 — 27 Jun, 15:53

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Why this matters

This incident is significant due to its rare occurrence in a highly controlled capital city like Beijing, raising questions about air safety and security protocols. The rapid disappearance of related videos and the initial official silence highlight China's stringent information control, making it difficult to ascertain the full scope and cause of the crash.

Key entitiesPilot CITIC Tower (China Zun)Beijing Chaoyang District Authorities Chinese Authorities

The Story

What 18 sources agree on, dispute, and miss

What sources agree on

A small plane crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper, the CITIC Tower (China Zun).
The pilot of the aircraft was killed in the crash.
Thirteen people were injured at the scene of the accident.
The incident occurred on a Friday, shortly before the end of the workday.

Key claims5 agreed

✓

The plane crashed into the 109-story CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun.

agreed·naftemporiki

✓

Chinese authorities confirmed the death of the pilot and 13 injuries.

agreed·tagesschauaktuality-skpublicoyle-uutisetn1-serbia+3

✓

Videos and evidence of the crash quickly disappeared from the internet and public view.

agreed·indian-expressnaftemporiki24urtagesschauYahoo+2

✓

Authorities remained silent about the incident for almost a day before confirming details.

agreed·tagesschau

✓

The incident is considered a rare air accident in the Chinese capital.

agreed·publicoexpress-tribune

Where they diverge

Focus on the aftermath and official response

indian-expressnaftemporiki24urtagesschauYahoo+2 morede-volkskrantjutarnji-list

Emphasizes the rapid disappearance of videos and official silence/censorship, questioning why information was suppressed.

rzeczpospolitandtvaktuality-skpublicoyle-uutiset+6 moren1-serbiarte-news

Coverage gaps

The identification of the owner of a car searched by police at the airfield from which the aircraft took off.

ReportedFT

Missingindian-expressrzeczpospolitanaftemporiki+14

Contextualization of the incident within Beijing's recent ban on unauthorized drone activity due to security concerns.

Reportedexpress-tribune

Missingindian-expressrzeczpospolitanaftemporiki+14

Specific details about the type or size of the small aircraft, beyond being 'small' or 'car-sized'.

Reportedndtv

The Story

Analyzing sources…

Source Diversity

Excellent (84/100)

18 sources33/33

Spectrum spread— 3/5 buckets covered17/33

Far L

Left10

Left (10)

indian-expressndtvYahoopublicoyle-uutisetn1-serbiarte-newsdr-dk+2 more

Center6

Center (6)

24urtagesschauaktuality-skexpress-tribuneFTjutarnji-list

Right2

Right (2)

rzeczpospolitanaftemporiki

Far R

Geographic diversity— 17 regions34/34

India2Poland1Greece1Slovenia1Germany1Slovakia1US1Portugal1Finland1Serbia1Ireland1Denmark1Pakistan1Netherlands1UK1Hong Kong1Croatia1

Political spectrum

LeftCenterRight

hk-free-press

ndtv

publico

n1-serbia

de-volkskrant

indian-express

yahoo

yle-uutiset

rte-news

dr-dk

24ur

tagesschau

aktuality-sk

express-tribune

jutarnji-list

rzeczpospolita

naftemporiki

Outlet rating This story

SourceOutletiGeneral editorial lean of the outletStoryiHow they covered this specific storyToneFactuality

hk-free-presscenter-leftcenter-leftneutralMostly FactualReports crash with witness accounts and debris

ndtvcenter-leftcenter-leftneutralMostly FactualFactual reporting, mentions aircraft size

Coverage leans: center-left

The coverage generally leans center-left, with many outlets highlighting the Chinese government's censorship and lack of transparency regarding the incident, framing it as a suppression of information.

Sources

Showing 7 of 18 sources

FTVery High2d ago

Owner of car searched by police after Beijing tower plane crash identified

Vehicle was at airfield from where aircraft that hit Citic Tower took off

Read full article →

YahooMostly Factual2d ago

A small plane slammed into the tallest skyscraper in China’s capital. Hours later, it was like nothing had happened.

Read full article →

indian-expressMostly Factual2d ago

Plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, killing pilot. Why did the videos disappear?

Read full article →

ndtvMostly Factual2d ago

Small Aircraft Crashes That Rocked Beijing Over The Past 20 Years

An aircraft about the size of a car flew into the tallest building in Beijing on Friday.

Read full article →

rte-newsMostly Factual2d ago

Pilot dies after small plane strikes Beijing skyscraper

A pilot was killed when his small aircraft crashed into Beijing's tallest building, with 13 people also injured, Chinese authorities have said.

Read full article →

hk-free-pressMostly Factual2d ago

Plane appears to crash into Beijing’s tallest building

A small plane appeared to have crashed into Beijing’s tallest building on Friday, with witnesses reporting plane debris at the skyscraper’s base and AFP journalists seeing a hole in the building’s upper floors. Video footage taken by a witness from a nearby building showed fire trucks blasting water at small flames on an outcropping near […]

By AFP

Read full article →

express-tribuneMostly Factual2d ago

Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

Incident follows Beijing's May ban on unauthorised drone buying, renting and flying over security concerns

By Reuters

Read full article →

Coverage Timeline

First report: jutarnji-list · 27 Jun, 01:11|Full coverage: 18 · 15h|Window: 15h

Left-leaningCenterRight-leaning

jutarnji-list27 Jun, 01:11First to report

VIDEO Avion se zabio u najviši neboder u Pekingu. Nevjerojatni prizori usred najkontroliranije svjetske metropole

hk-free-press27 Jun, 02:06

Plane appears to crash into Beijing’s tallest building

3h later

FT27 Jun, 04:53

Owner of car searched by police after Beijing tower plane crash identified

1h later

de-volkskrant27 Jun, 06:16

Vliegtuigje vliegt tegen hoogste wolkenkrabber van Beijing en China wil niet dat iemand dit weet

express-tribune27 Jun, 07:00

Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

3h later

dr-dk27 Jun, 09:35

A small plane slammed into the tallest skyscraper in China’s capital. Hours later, it was like nothing had happened.

1h later

aktuality-sk27 Jun, 12:41

Náraz malého lietadla v Pekingu si vyžiadal život pilota a 13 zranených

ndtv27 Jun, 13:11

Small Aircraft Crashes That Rocked Beijing Over The Past 20 Years

tagesschau27 Jun, 13:25

Kleinflugzeug kracht in Peking in Hochhaus

24ur27 Jun, 14:15

Le nekaj ur po trčenju v nebotičnik izginili vsi posnetki nesreče

naftemporiki27 Jun, 14:27

Μυστήρια στο Πεκίνο: Αεροσκάφος προσέκρουσε στον ψηλότερο ουραξονύστη – Λίγες ώρες μετά ήταν σαν μη συνέβη ποτέ

rzeczpospolita27 Jun, 15:11

Chiny: Jedna ofiara śmiertelna i 13 rannych w wyniku uderzenia samolotu w wieżowiec w Pekinie

indian-express27 Jun, 15:53Latest update

Plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, killing pilot. Why did the videos disappear?

Story evolution

The narrative shifted from simply reporting a rare accident to emphasizing the unusual official silence and rapid disappearance of evidence, raising concerns about censorship and transparency in China.

Initial Crash and Witness ReportsFriday afternoon

A small plane crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday afternoon, with initial reports from witnesses and journalists noting debris and a hole in the building.

Official Confirmation and Casualty ReportSaturday morning

Chinese authorities confirmed the incident, stating the pilot was killed and 13 people were injured, nearly a day after the crash.

Focus on Censorship and InvestigationSaturday afternoon

Outlets began to highlight the rapid disappearance of videos and official silence, while some reported on ongoing investigations, including a car search at the airfield.

Pilot Killed, 13 Injured in Beijing Skyscraper Plane Crash; Videos Disappear

Why this matters

The Story

What sources agree on

Key claims5 agreed

Where they diverge

Coverage gaps

The Story

Source Diversity

Source Diversity

Political spectrum

Sources

Owner of car searched by police after Beijing tower plane crash identified

A small plane slammed into the tallest skyscraper in China’s capital. Hours later, it was like nothing had happened.

Plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, killing pilot. Why did the videos disappear?

Small Aircraft Crashes That Rocked Beijing Over The Past 20 Years

Pilot dies after small plane strikes Beijing skyscraper

Plane appears to crash into Beijing’s tallest building

Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

Coverage Timeline

VIDEO Avion se zabio u najviši neboder u Pekingu. Nevjerojatni prizori usred najkontroliranije svjetske metropole

Plane appears to crash into Beijing’s tallest building

Owner of car searched by police after Beijing tower plane crash identified

Vliegtuigje vliegt tegen hoogste wolkenkrabber van Beijing en China wil niet dat iemand dit weet

Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

En person død efter fly styrtede ind i skyskraber i Beijing

Pilot dies after small plane strikes Beijing skyscraper

Poginuo pilot, 13 osoba povređeno: Mali avion udario u neboder u Pekingu

Kiinan valtion mediat: Koneen ohjaaja kuoli perjantain lentoturmassa

China investiga colisão de avião ligeiro contra arranha-céus em Pequim

A small plane slammed into the tallest skyscraper in China’s capital. Hours later, it was like nothing had happened.

Náraz malého lietadla v Pekingu si vyžiadal život pilota a 13 zranených

Small Aircraft Crashes That Rocked Beijing Over The Past 20 Years

Kleinflugzeug kracht in Peking in Hochhaus

Le nekaj ur po trčenju v nebotičnik izginili vsi posnetki nesreče

Μυστήρια στο Πεκίνο: Αεροσκάφος προσέκρουσε στον ψηλότερο ουραξονύστη – Λίγες ώρες μετά ήταν σαν μη συνέβη ποτέ

Chiny: Jedna ofiara śmiertelna i 13 rannych w wyniku uderzenia samolotu w wieżowiec w Pekinie

Plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, killing pilot. Why did the videos disappear?

Story evolution

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Why this matters

Story evolution

The Story

What sources agree on

Key claims5 agreed

Where they diverge

Coverage gaps

Political spectrum

Coverage matrix(18 sources)