Government officials have revealed that the pilot who tragically lost his life after crashing a light aircraft into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper had been battling severe mental health issues and left behind writings detailing intentions to end his life.

The incident occurred on Friday, June 26, 2026, at approximately 5:55 PM local time, when a two-seat, propeller-driven light aircraft collided with the 528-meter (1,732-foot) CITIC Tower. Located in the heart of Beijing’s bustling Central Business District, the crash resulted in injuries to 13 people on the ground and inside the building. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a visible hole blasted into the upper windows of the skyscraper, accompanied by falling aircraft debris and a small fire breaking out at the base of the tower.

Following an investigation, the Chaoyang district government released a statement identifying the pilot by his surname, Liu. The 66-year-old worked as a freelancer, lived alone in the capital following a divorce, and had been dealing with long-term anxiety and chronic insomnia.

Officials noted that an examination of his personal diary uncovered multiple entries where he openly discussed “ending his life.” The local government has officially classified the disaster as an incident endangering public safety stemming entirely from personal motives.

Investigators disclosed that Liu was a relatively recently licensed pilot, having secured a sport pilot license in 2021 before upgrading to a private pilot license in 2024. On the afternoon of the crash, he had taken off from a general aviation airport located in the suburban Pinggu district. After completing a mix of supervised and solo flights, Liu went out for a final solo session, during which he intentionally veered away from his authorized airspace and cut off communication with the airport control tower shortly before steering the plane into the skyscraper.

The crash has sparked serious security and aviation safety concerns within the heavily fortified capital. The CITIC Tower sits roughly seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from Zhongnanhai, the highly secure government compound that serves as the headquarters for China’s top political leadership. In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Chinese authorities moved quickly to control information; social media platforms were heavily scrubbed of videos and photos documenting the crash, and law enforcement on the scene strictly blocked journalists and onlookers from taking pictures of the damaged skyscraper.