In a tragic turn of events, popular social media personality Tang Feiji lost his life in a twin-rotor aircraft accident while live-streaming the event. The 55-year-old content creator was in the midst of filming a video for his followers this past Saturday when he lost control of his aircraft in Jiange County, situated in the heart of China. The distressing footage, viewed by hundreds of people, captured the moment Feiji’s aircraft ignited into flames and plummeted to the ground shortly after takeoff.
Feiji, who had a following of over 100,000 on the Chinese social media platform Douyin, was not equipped with a helmet or a parachute at the time of the crash. The live-stream viewers expressed their shock and horror in the comments section, with many urging others to alert emergency services. Regrettably, Feiji was declared dead at the scene. The crash did not result in any damage to the surrounding area.
In the aftermath of the tragic incident, Feiji’s social media accounts were set to private, limiting access to his content to only his existing followers. The circumstances surrounding his death are currently under investigation.
In the days leading up to the fatal crash, Feiji had shared with his followers that he had purchased the aircraft for approximately $49,000. The aircraft, which weighed over 250 pounds and had a single seat, was reported by the state-run China News Service. Feiji had also claimed in previous videos that his aircraft could reach an altitude of 2,000 feet and travel at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour.
Despite having only six hours of practice, Feiji had expressed confidence in his ability to operate the ultralight machine. He had also claimed that he did not need a pilot’s license to operate such aircraft.
Feiji had previously experienced several technical issues with the aircraft, which had resulted in two crashes last year. In both instances, his aircraft fell less than 30 feet due to a fuel gauge malfunction.