Chaoyang district authorities in Beijing reported today that the 66-year-old pilot, Luu, "had suffered from insomnia and anxiety for a long time." Officials from Chaoyang stated, "His diary contained numerous entries expressing a desire to 'end his life'."
Luu, a Beijing resident, on 26/6 piloted a Sunward SA60L Aurora light aircraft that crashed into CITIC Tower, China's 109-story tallest building in the capital. The incident forced the evacuation of people working in the building.
Scenes from the crash site showed some of the skyscraper's glass panels damaged, with debris and the aircraft's tail section scattered at the base of the building. Fire trucks, police vehicles, and ambulances were also deployed to the scene.
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Damage at CITIC Tower in Beijing on 26/6. *Photo: Reuters* |
Luu died in the incident, and 13 people were injured, none with life-threatening conditions.
According to officials, Luu was a freelance worker, divorced, and lived alone. He obtained a sport pilot license in 2021 and a private pilot license in 2024.
On the afternoon of the incident, he piloted the aircraft, taking off from an airfield in Pinggu district, eastern Beijing.
The investigation results stated: "Initially, Luu conducted a supervised flight, then took off alone. During the solo flight, he departed the designated operating area and lost contact with the airfield before the aircraft crashed into the skyscraper."
"The incident has been identified as an act endangering public safety stemming from personal reasons," Chaoyang district authorities reported.
The suburban Pinggu district is located near the borders of Hebei province and Tianjin city, approximately 70 km northeast of CITIC Tower. Chaoyang district authorities did not explain how the aircraft could fly from Pinggu into one of the capital's most sensitive and densely populated areas.
Pilot training schools across China this week announced they have been instructed to suspend flight training operations and conduct safety checks.
Huyen Le (According to AFP, SCMP)
