BEIJING — Witnesses described a startling scene on Friday when a small aircraft, roughly the size of a car, collided with the tallest building in Beijing — an unusual event in China’s capital, where the airspace is subject to strict controls.
The following is a timeline of notable small aircraft and helicopter crashes in Beijing over the past two decades, drawn from aviation authority records and Chinese state media reports.
On July 6, 2022, a tourist helicopter went down during a flight between Beijing’s Changping and Fangshan districts, claiming the lives of both pilots aboard.
On July 30, 2018, a civilian helicopter came down in a parking lot in a village located in Beijing’s Chaoyang district. Investigators attributed the crash to pilot error, and four people on board were injured.
On June 6, 2015, a small training helicopter plunged into Miyun Reservoir, resulting in the deaths of two people.
On April 10, 2014, another small training aircraft went down into a river near Miyun Reservoir. One pilot was killed and the other was injured in the crash.
On August 17, 2011, a police helicopter crashed into Miyun Reservoir while making its way back from a search-and-rescue training exercise. Four of the five crew members on board lost their lives.
On July 12, 2008, a helicopter operating in the remote Pinggu district struck a high-voltage power line while spraying pesticides, causing the aircraft to crash and catch fire. The pilot was killed.
