After a viral video showed a paraglider's face and body covered in ice, the local sporting authority announced a six-month ban on the pilot from the sport.
The incident involved Peng Yujiang, a 55-year-old paraglider from Gansu province, who unintentionally ascended to nearly 8,600 meters (about 28,200 feet) above sea level in the Qilian mountain range of northwest China. This altitude is comparable to that of Mount Everest and typical aviation flight paths, as reported by state media.
The harrowing experience was documented by a camera attached to his equipment, revealing the extreme conditions he faced. In a video recorded after the incident, Mr. Peng described the lack of oxygen and the freezing temperatures he endured, stating, “I felt the lack of oxygen. My hands were frozen outside. I kept trying to talk on the radio.”
Mr. Peng was conducting equipment testing as part of "ground handling training" at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet) when strong winds unexpectedly lifted him higher into the sky. Unable to control the glider, he was pulled up above the clouds, experiencing a phenomenon known as “cloud suck,” which can rapidly draw pilots into clouds and lead to hypoxia due to the thin air at extreme altitudes.
Despite the dangers, Mr. Peng successfully landed about 20 miles from his takeoff point and is currently recovering from the incident. He expressed his fear regarding the experience, stating, “Thinking about it still makes me quite scared,” according to reports.
The local sporting authority in Gansu province announced that Mr. Peng, a licensed paraglider, would be suspended from the sport for six months. They also indicated that flying activities in the area would be temporarily halted. The authority classified the incident as an accident, noting that Mr. Peng did not have a flight plan, as ground handling training does not require advance registration.
A second pilot involved in the incident was also banned for six months for releasing footage of the event without permission, as reported by local news media.
This is not the first instance of a paraglider reaching extreme altitudes by accident. In 2007, Ewa Wisnierska, a champion Polish paraglider, ascended to approximately 10,000 meters (over 32,000 feet) during a practice flight in Australia, inadvertently breaking the paragliding height record. Her experience was perilous, resulting in her losing consciousness in the air and landing over 50 miles away from her launch point. Tragically, another pilot caught in cloud suck that day did not survive.
Reflecting on her experience, Ms. Wisnierska stated, “Today, I still fly — but just for pleasure and to give courses to the people who come to my paragliding school. Competing no longer makes any sense to me.” She emphasized the shift in her priorities following the incident, pondering the reasons for her survival compared to the fate of another pilot.