China says pilot crashes small plane into skyscraper for ‘personal reasons’

The pilot who crashed his small plane into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper last week was suffering from “severe insomnia and anxiety” and did so for “personal reasons,” authorities said Thursday.

The crash killed the pilot, identified only as Liu, and injured 13 others.

Liu, a 66-year-old resident of Beijing, was a divorced freelancer who lived alone, Chaoyang District said in a statement, adding that Liu’s diary “contains many life-changing statements.”

“A comprehensive investigation has concluded that this is a case of personal risk to public safety,” the statement said.

One of the injured has been released from the hospital, officials said.

Videos of the CIT Tower disaster were widely circulated on social media before being deleted from the Chinese internet, as authorities investigated what many observers saw as a major security breach.