Overview

• The Sept. 16 rehearsal in Changchun, Jilin, ended with one aircraft landing safely and the other catching fire after sustaining fuselage damage.
• Video on Chinese social media and state outlets showed thick smoke at the site as fire trucks and ambulances responded.
• Reports indicate one pilot suffered minor injuries, though Xpeng AeroHT said all on-site personnel were safe.
• Xpeng said the vehicles were flying in close formation when insufficient spacing led to contact, and authorities have secured the scene during the probe.
• The incident heightens scrutiny of early eVTOL adoption as AeroHT targets 2026 mass production of its Land Aircraft Carrier system with thousands of preorders and a Guangzhou factory.