Tag: Airplane Collision

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

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A light aircraft crash into Beijing’s tallest building on Friday killed ​the pilot and injured 13 people who were not on ‌board, the local government said following the unusual accident for the Chinese capital, where airspace is heavily restricted. Those injured are receiving medical treatment and authorities are ​investigating the incident, Chaoyang district government said in a statement ​on Saturday. “A single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft collided with ⁠a high-rise building while flying near the East third ring road ​in Chaoyang, at 5:55 p.m. (0955 GMT) on June 26,” said the ​statement, which was posted on social media.

“There was only one person on board, the pilot, who died,” the statement added, without giving any further details of ​the possible cause of the crash. Damage to the facade of the ​skyscraper appeared to be limited to a hole caused by the loss of ‌two ⁠large glass panels. The gap had been temporarily boarded up as of Saturday. Reuters reported on Friday the crash into the 528-metre-high building, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, in Beijing’s Central Business ​District. It is about ​6 km (3.7 ⁠miles) from the Forbidden City visited by thousands of tourists each day. It is also near Zhongnanhai, a ​compound that houses the offices of China’s top ​political leadership. The ⁠incident follows Beijing’s ban since May on buying, renting or flying drones without authorization, due to public security concerns.

The last aircraft crash in ⁠Beijing ​was in 2022, when a tourist helicopter ​crashed during a flight between the Changping and Fangshan districts, killing the two pilots ​on board.

Source: Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people | Reuters

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:17

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A small plane hit Beijing’s CITIC Tower. Hours later it was like nothing had happened

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Small blue and white airplane with registration N245CP flying near glass skyscraper in city.

On Friday afternoon a small plane appeared to evade some of the world’s strictest aviation controls and slam into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing, the 109-story CITIC Tower that dominates the city’s skyline, killing the pilot and injuring 13 other people. The crash sent shards of glass and aircraft debris plummeting hundreds of feet down to the streets below as office workers left for the weekend, causing panic in the heart of China’s most protected city. A short while later, it was like nothing had happened. All mention of the incident – and the shocking footage of it – had been scrubbed from Chinese social media. The government initially did not publicly acknowledge any incident had taken place.

State media – including the country’s national broadcaster CCTV, headquartered across the road from the crash site – made no mention of the shocking incident. That’s thanks to the work of China’s army of censors and the Communist authorities’ obsessive control over information – particularly concerning events they believe may bring negative attention or consequences The information vacuum left a host of unanswered questions for those who witnessed the event, or saw reports of it. For almost a day it was unknown how many people were injured in the incident. On Saturday afternoon local time, media affiliated with the Beijing government reported a “single-engine double-seat light sports aircraft collided with a high-rise building in flight,” and that the pilot – the only person on board – had been killed and 13 people injured at the scene.

The incident was being “investigated,” it said. It’s still unknown whether the crash was accidental or intentional. Perhaps most worryingly for authorities, it’s also raised questions of how the pilot managed to fly over China’s fortified capital, where most of the Communist Party elite live, and where even flying drones is effectively banned. The CITIC tower, is 528-meters tall (equivalent to 1,732 feet). It has been Beijing’s tallest building since 2018 and dominates the skyline. It hosts China’s state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group and tech giant Alibaba and the surrounding neighborhood is a prime location in Beijing, and frequented by foreigners and diplomats. The embassies of countries ranging from the UK to Vietnam are just steps away, as are big names in global finance including the World Bank and IFC’s China offices.

The crash happened on Friday late afternoon during rush hour. Footage shared online in the brief window before the censors swung into action showed a small plane crashing into the upper level of the building, also known as China Zun, sending debris and a tail section of the plane showering down onto the city. Online images showing the plane’s registration code seemed to point to a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, owned by a local general aviation company, which offers services like pilot training, personal recreational flights and aerial photography. CNN saw crowds evacuating from the skyscraper gathering on the streets near the entrance, along with firetrucks, police cars and an ambulance. Information vacuum Beijing resident Anna, who wanted only her first name used, said she went to the site after hearing about the crash online.

“I was just like two stops away… and I saw this post… but it gets deleted soon. So I just came here.” The footage has since gone viral on social media outside mainland China. Inside the country, a search for “plane crash in Beijing” on Weibo, China’s version of X, produced no relevant results. It is common practice for Chinese authorities to act quickly to censor or impose an information blackout and deploy a heavy police presence to any incident that is seen as potentially destabilizing social stability. On Saturday, roads near the CITIC Tower were closed and police were present around the site. Only people who could prove they work in the area were allowed to enter. Delivery drivers were stuck outside and waiting for employees to come out to collect their orders, according to a CNN journalist. A press official with the Beijing municipal government said in a phone call on Saturday that “the incident is currently under investigation, and an official statement will follow” without saying when.

Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 posted online appeared to show a severely deviated flight path for the aircraft after it took off from Beijing’s Shifosi airport. Flying any light aircraft in Beijing requires approval from both the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Beijing enacted a sweeping regulation last month to effectively ban casual recreational flying and consumer drones. Deadly and highly-public incidents in China are sometimes followed by official information vacuums that can last for years. Beijing is yet to offer any official explanation more than four years after a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 passenger jet crashed in the Guangxi region and killed 132 people, in the country’s deadliest air disaster for decades.

Source: A small plane hit Beijing’s CITIC Tower. Hours later it was like nothing had happened | CNN

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

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Southwest passenger describes planes clipping at BWI airport: “It was a good jolt”

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A Southwest Airlines passenger traveling out of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport shared a video with CBS News Baltimore after the plane he was on clipped another aircraft earlier this week. The video by Kevin White, who was heading home to Connecticut, showed the moments after two airplanes hit each other while leaving the gates on Monday, May 4. “It was almost like if you got rear-ended at a slow speed,” White said. “It was a good jolt.” White said he and his wife noticed how close the planes were when they sat down, but didn’t think anything of it. “I looked down, and we noticed that the wings were kind of close,” White said. “I said, ‘Well, they know what they’re doing.

Next thing you know, they bumped us.” According to both the FAA and Southwest Airlines, Southwest flights 1048 to Connecticut and 562 to Houston backed into each other and caused minor damage to the wingtips. Passengers on both flights were forced to change planes. Southwest said the planes were immediately removed from service. Review underway over Southwest flights Southwest said no passengers were injured, and an internal review is underway. In a statement, Southwest said, “Safety is their top priority for both passengers and employees.” “Hey, ground, Southwest 1048, we had contact between the 2 aircraft back here,” the pilot said. “We’re going to need to taxi straight ahead back to Alpha 7.”

Source: Southwest passenger describes planes clipping at BWI airport: “It was a good jolt” – CBS Baltimore

For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”
Romans 14:11

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