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Factbox-Small aircraft crashes in Beijing over past 20 years

By Thomson Reuters Jun 27, 2026 | 5:15 AM

BEIJING, June 27 (Reuters) – An aircraft about the size of a car flew into the tallest building in Beijing ​on Friday, said witnesses who saw ‌the rare crash in China’s capital, where airspace is heavily controlled.

Below is a list of some crashes involving small aircraft or helicopters in Beijing over ‌the ​past 20 years, based ⁠on aviation authority and ⁠Chinese state media reports.

• July 6, 2022 – a tourist helicopter crashed during a flight between Beijing’s Changping and Fangshan districts, ​killing two pilots on board.

• July 30, 2018 – a civil helicopter crashed into ⁠a parking lot in ⁠a village in Beijing’s Chaoyang district ​due to pilot error, injuring four people on ​board.

• June 6, 2015 – Two people ‌were killed after a small training helicopter crashed into Miyun Reservoir.

• April 10, 2014 – A small training aircraft crashed into a ⁠river near Miyun Reservoir in Beijing, killing one pilot and injuring the other.

• August 17, 2011 – A ⁠police helicopter ‌crashed into Miyun Reservoir while ⁠returning from a search-and-rescue drill, ​killing ‌four of the five crew members.

• ​July 12, ⁠2008 – A helicopter crashed and caught fire in the remote Pinggu district after hitting a high-voltage power line while pesticide spraying, killing the pilot.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by ​Alexander Smith)