A Chinese influencer died after the lightweight aircraft he was commandeering crashed and burst into flames. And he was livestreaming the whole time.
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On September 27, online influencer Tang Feiji was livestreaming himself flying a lightweight helicopter, according to the Chinese News Service. Suddenly, however, the aircraft dropped out of the sky and hit the ground. Livestream still rolling, his horrified viewers saw the wreckage light on fire.
Tang Feiji, 55, gained traction online thanks to his skills as a pilot. He had gained 100,000 followers on TikTok through showing off his personally owned aircraft. In his final flight, he was piloting a one-seat coaxial rotor helicopter with a net weight of around only 250 pounds.
The aircraft cost Tang Feiji 350,000 Chinese Yuan (roughly $49,000). Cover News reported that the helicopter could travel around 25 miles on a full tank, and could reach 62 mph.
The influencer claimed he had mastered the vehicle after only six hours of cumulative practice. Although he spoke to Cover News in 2024, where he spoke of his experiences with the helicopter.
So it’s likely he has since piloted the aircraft frequently.
Aircraft Likely Suffered A Malfunction
When speaking to Cover News last year, he told a reporter that he had experienced two fuel gauge malfunctions already. During these malfunctions, the aircraft “dropped directly from 5 and 10 meters above the ground” both times.
Although that could have occurred here, a minor detail in the video provides an alternate explanation.
In the video, shared by The New York Post, you can see the propellers give way briefly before he plummets to the ground.
After crashing, smoke rises from just beyond the grass. And before long, fire reaches into the sky.
Whether the propellers or the fuel gauge caused the crash, it’s a tragedy that his family is struggling with.
Despite the fire that broke out, no other damages were made.
Per Cover News, “The township official expressed gratitude for the netizens’ concern, but said the family is still in grief and asked everyone to stop sharing the video to comfort the survivors.”