Viewers sat back and watched the influencer crash a plane as he livestreamed his own death, and they desperately tried to raise alarm bells to “save him”
An aviation influencer died in front of more than 1,000 fans after his ultralight aircraft plunged from the sky and burst into flames during a livestream.
Tang Feiji was broadcasting live when his twin-rotor craft took a steep turn and nosedived into Jiange County, central China, on Saturday. Viewers were horrified and flooded the stream’s chat with messages pleading for someone to “call the emergency services” and “save him”.
Despite their desperate pleas, it was too late, and Tang, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene from the impact. Tang was well-known on the internet in Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province for his frequent flying content, with over who had around 100,000 followers on the Chinese social media platform Douyin, according to reports.
Just moments before the fatal crash, he had briefly landed to simply adjust his camera before another quick takeoff. While flying the plane, the influencer was not wearing any form of helmet or parachute for safety.
Since his death, his livestream account has been changed to private settings, so only existing followers can now access the content he posted before the tragic accident. Following the incident, numerous Chinese departments are investigating Tang’s death.
Although it appears this was not his first brush with danger, as he had survived two previous crashes due to technical failures such as a faulty fuel gauge. According to reports, he purchased the aircraft last year for an estimated £36,500 (CNY 350,000).
When buying the aircraft, he believed that a pilot’s licence wasn’t necessary to fly these types of ultralight machines. Meanwhile, experts in the aviation field insist that a licence is required when flying any form of low-altitude aircraft.