Chinese authorities say the pilot who died after flying a light aircraft into Beijing’s CITIC Tower wrote about suicide and had mental health problems, citing the findings of an investigation. Multiple outlets report that the crash occurred last Friday at about 5:55 pm local time (0955 GMT), when the aircraft struck the 528-metre CITIC Tower in Beijing’s Central Business District. Authorities in Beijing’s Chaoyang district state that the pilot, identified as a 66-year-old man (surnamed Liu), had long suffered from insomnia and anxiety. They also say his diary contained multiple references to “ending his life.”
According to the authorities’ account, the investigation concludes that the crash was due to “personal reasons.” The impact injured 13 people, and the pilot was killed. Reporting across the outlets attributes the mental-health and diary claims to a statement posted on social media by the Chaoyang district government and subsequent briefings. All coverage emphasizes that authorities link the incident to the pilot’s personal circumstances rather than external interference, while continuing to reference aviation safety concerns raised by the crash.
