BEIJING — A pilot was killed and 13 people were injured after a small aircraft crashed into a high-rise building in central Beijing, Chinese authorities said on Saturday.Authorities in Beijing’s Chaoyang district said the two-seat light sport aircraft struck the building near the East Third Ring Road at 5:55 p.m. local time on Friday. The pilot, who was the only person onboard, died in the crash.The statement did not identify the building involved. However, flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said the aircraft crashed into the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, Beijing’s tallest building at 528 meters (1,732 feet).Officials said the 13 injured people were receiving medical treatment but did not specify whether they had been inside the building or were struck by debris.The aircraft, identified by Flightradar24 as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, took off from an airport about 50 kilometers east of Beijing before heading west toward the city center. Flight data showed its track ending near the CITIC Tower.Photographs taken on Saturday showed apparent impact damage to one side of the tower’s glass façade, where a hole had since been covered.Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, which occurred in a city with tightly controlled airspace and strict aviation restrictions.The CITIC Tower is located in Beijing’s central business district, about a 20-minute drive from Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of China’s top leadership, and near the Forbidden City.Posts and reports about the crash were removed from Chinese social media platforms, although videos and images continued circulating on overseas platforms.According to Flightradar24, the aircraft was operated by Shuangyue General Aviation. The single-engine SA 60L Aurora, manufactured by Starair Aircraft in Hunan Province, is one of China’s most widely used light sport aircraft models.
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