Chinese paraglider survives unintended 8,000-metre-high flight above the clouds

A Chinese paraglider who used to be unintentionally propelled greater than 8,000 metres excessive by way of an updraft has been banned from the process for 6 months after a video of his ordeal went viral.

Peng Yujiang started from an elevation of about 3,000m within the Qilian mountain vary in northern China, the place he meant to check a brand new second-hand apparatus acquire with out creating a correct flight, consistent with an investigative document by way of the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association.

However about 20 mins into his follow he used to be stuck in a powerful updraft, which despatched him hovering greater than 5,000m excessive, in step with flight paths and just about the peak of Mount Everest.

Video from Peng’s fastened digital camera confirmed him above the clouds and coated in icicles because the temperature dropped to a reported -35C, as he attempted to regulate his apparatus.

In a video filmed in a while after touchdown, Peng recounted the enjoy.

“My hands were frozen outside. I kept trying to talk on the radio,” he mentioned.

Authorities praised Peng’s survival, conceding it used to be an coincidence. A “normal person cannot be exposed at 8,000m without oxygen [so] this is not something that can be done voluntarily” mentioned a sports activities bureau reliable, consistent with Sixth Tone.

But Peng, who has about 5 years’ enjoy paragliding, by no means meant to depart flooring stage and so had no longer registered any flight plans, that means his ordeal used to be “not subject to relevant approvals”, the document mentioned. In reaction he used to be banned from flying for 6 months.

The bureau document, in response to an interview with Peng, mentioned he used to be within the air for greater than an hour, and had stayed in radio touch together with his pal, Gu Zhimin, who used to be nonetheless at the flooring.

The document mentioned he had tried to descend however his efforts have been “ineffective”, and as he flew upper he was puzzled and in short misplaced awareness.

Peng used to be ultimately ready to land about 30km from the release web site, the place he used to be met by way of Gu and every other pal.

Gu later posted a video of Peng’s flight and feedback at the flooring to Douyin, China’s home model of TikTok, the place it quickly went viral.

The video sparked surprise and admiration from audience, some suggesting he had damaged information, however it additionally drew the ire of government.

“Gu Zhimin posted a flight video without permission, which had a bad impact,” the document mentioned. “He was grounded for six months and asked to write a report to deeply reflect on the negative impact of his behaviour.”

The bureau mentioned any document damaged by way of Peng’s flight would no longer be formally counted as a result of his flight used to be no longer registered.

His flight nears the arena document of 9,946m set by way of German paraglider Ewa Wiśnierska in 2007, when she used to be stuck in a equivalent updraft whilst paragliding in Australia. Wiśnierska used to be subconscious for roughly 40 mins, most effective studying how excessive she had flown after safely touchdown and checking her flight knowledge.

Additional analysis by way of Lillian Yang