Witnesses to the accident on June 26 said they found plane debris at the foot of the 528m high CITIC Tower. AFP reporters at the scene saw a hole in the window of one of the upper floors of the building.
The Chaoyang County government of Beijing stated in a statement that "a light single-engine, two-seater aircraft crashed into a high-rise building" at 5:55 pm local time, June 26.
The only person on board was the pilot, who died, and 13 others were injured at the scene" - the statement stated. This is the first official comment from Chinese officials on the incident.
Authorities said they are "conducting further investigation into the incident".
A video recorded by a witness from a nearby building shows fire trucks spraying water to extinguish small flames on the ground, as well as debris of planes appearing next to the building.
CITIC Tower, with 108 above-ground floors and 7 basements, can accommodate 12,000 office workers.
China imposes strict restrictions on its airspace, especially around the Beijing metropolitan area, for public security reasons.
