A commercial aircraft has slammed into a communications tower on the outskirts of Beijing, and the silence from Chinese authorities is setting off alarm bells across Whitehall. Sources within the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch confirm they have received no official communication from their Chinese counterparts since the incident erupted at 14:23 local time. The aircraft, identified as a Boeing 737-800 operated by a domestic Chinese carrier, struck the tower in the Tongzhou district, sending a plume of black smoke visible for miles.
Chinese state media has acknowledged the crash but offered no details on casualties or the cause. British aviation officials, who track such disasters as part of international safety protocols, say the lack of data exchange violates standard post-crash procedures. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me: ‘We are flying blind.
This is not how responsible aviation nations behave.’ The AAIB has activated its crisis team and is pressing for access through diplomatic channels. The silence is unnerving given the tower’s proximity to Beijing’s central business district and the potential for sensitive communication infrastructure damage.
Investigators here are piecing together fragments from flight-radar data showing the aircraft deviating sharply from its approach path before impact. They have not ruled out technical failure, pilot error, or something far more sinister. In the absence of Chinese cooperation, British authorities are relying on satellite imagery and intercepted signals – a shadow investigation that highlights the deepening mistrust between London and Beijing.
Until China speaks, the world is left with a question mark over the wreckage.
