'China's Army of Censors' Wipes References to Plane Crash

Beijing's tallest skyscraper now has a jagged reminder of a rare aviation accident in the Chinese capital. Officials say a two-seat light sport plane slammed into the 1,700-foot-high CITIC Tower—aka China Zun—on Friday, killing the pilot, who was the only one on board, and injuring 13 others, report Reuters and the AP. The aircraft struck the facade in Beijing's Chaoyang district, leaving a hole where two large glass panels were knocked out; the gap has since been covered. Airspace over the capital is tightly controlled, and such crashes are uncommon.

The tower sits in the central business district, several miles from the Forbidden City palace complex and close to the Zhongnanhai leadership compound. Authorities haven't disclosed what caused the collision, but they say those injured are receiving treatment. CNN notes that shortly after the accident, "it was like nothing had happened," with "all references to the incident ... scrubbed from Chinese social media ... thanks to the work of China's army of censors and the Communist authorities' obsessive control over information." An investigation is said to be underway.