China says man who flew plane into Beijing skyscraper had mental health problems

Earlier DU thread: Small aircraft crashes into Beijing's tallest building, eyewitnesses say

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Source: The Guardian

China says man who flew plane into Beijing skyscraper had mental health problems

Amy Hawkins in Beijing
Fri 3 Jul 2026 04.15 BST

Chinese authorities said the man who flew a small plane into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper last week was a 66-year-old who had mental health problems.

The statement published on Thursday offered the most detailed official account yet of the highly unusual incident that occurred in Beijing’s central business district on the evening of 26 June.

Beijing has some of the world’s strictest aviation control policies and planes are rarely seen flying over the capital. Drones and light aircraft are forbidden from flying over the city without permission.

Despite this, a small propeller aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, the China Citic tower, the headquarters of the state-owned financial services group. The tower is around 8km (five miles) from the Zhongnanhai compound where leader Xi Jinping lives.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/03/china-man-small-plane-beijing-skyscraper-tower-mental-health-problems-statement