(Refiles to amend second bullet and paragraph 2 to say 13 injured were not on board the plane, rather than on the ground)
June 29 (Reuters) – China has grounded flights of private light fixed-wing aircraft after a plane crashed into Beijing’s tallest building last week, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing operators around the country.
The sole pilot on board the twin-seat aircraft was killed during the incident on Friday, which injured 13 people who weren’t on board, local government said on Saturday. The aircraft crashed into a 528-metre-high (1,732- foot) building, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, in Beijing’s central business district during the evening rush hour.
A nationwide airspace control order covering recreational flights has been issued, with all relevant flying activities banned, the FT reported. The restrictions have not been announced publicly.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The Civil Aviation Administration of China did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Authorities are investigating the incident and have given no details on the possible cause of the crash.
TIGHTLY CONTROLLED
China’s skies are among the most tightly controlled in the world, with the military retaining primary authority over airspace access and allocation. Beijing is among the most sensitive parts of that management framework.
There is a permanent no-fly zone of roughly 100 sq km (39 sq miles) over the political and ceremonial core of the Chinese capital, according to a Reuters review of official aviation navigation rules.
The prohibited area is immediately to the west of the skyscraper-dense central business district, and covers Tiananmen Square and the Zhongnanhai, a compound that houses the offices of China’s top political leadership.
While police and other official aircraft have occasionally been spotted over downtown Beijing, apart from military aircraft formations during national parades, a plane near the city’s skyscrapers is an exceptionally rare sight.
Commercial jets are routed around Beijing’s dense urban areas, with low-flying general aviation broadly restricted to the outskirts.
Beijing instituted a citywide drone ban earlier this year. Drones generally can no longer be sold or brought into the Chinese capital, with storage also tightly regulated.
The timing of Friday’s crash, just days before the Communist Party is set to celebrate the 105th anniversary of its founding on July 1, also places the incident under heightened political scrutiny, putting pressure on administrators to adopt tougher controls.
Stocks related to China’s low-altitude-airspace industry broadly fell on Monday, with CITIC Offshore Helicopter shares down 4% and Zongsen Power Machinery down 7.7%.
(Reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru, Xiuhao Chen and Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sharon Singleton)
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