China grounds general aviation after fatal CITIC Tower crash, prompting scrutiny of low-altitude flight safety gaps
China has ordered a nationwide grounding of general aviation aircraft after a light plane crashed into Beijing’s CITIC Tower on 26 June, killing the pilot and injuring 13. New tracking data show the aircraft came close to a Hainan Airlines passenger jet and forced at least two commercial flights to abort approaches, intensifying concerns over safety oversight for low-altitude operations.