A Chinese paraglider has been banned from flying for six months after being unintentionally lifted to an altitude of 8,598 meters—nearly the height of Mount Everest.
According to the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association, 55-year-old Peng Yujiang, a licensed paraglider with two years of experience, had no intention of taking flight. He was conducting a routine equipment test in China’s Gansu province when a powerful updraft suddenly pulled him into the air.
His entire flight was captured on camera.
A freak updraft over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lifted Chinese Paraglider Peng Yujiang nearly nine kilometers in minutes — and the entire flight was caught on camera.
Screenshots from Peng’s GPS flight tracker show he took off at 12:19 p.m. from the Qilian Mountains, an area… pic.twitter.com/ov4Ld5ARx1
— Sixth Tone (@SixthTone) May 28, 2025
According to experts, what the paraglider reportedly encountered, was a rare and hazardous paragliding phenomenon known as “cloud suck,” where powerful updrafts within a cumulonimbus cloud rapidly pull pilots upward.
Peng spent 72 minutes in the air, reaching speeds of 9.7 meters per second and enduring temperatures as low as -40°C. He experienced hypoxia and frostbite.
“I tried to land, but failed,” he told state-run broadcaster CCTV news. “Everything ahead was a vast expanse of whiteness.”
Authorities suspended Peng from flying for six months citing failure to submit a flight plan and unauthorized video publication of the flight.
China’s national paragliding regulations require pilots to obtain prior approval from local air traffic control before taking off. Flying in adverse weather conditions, such as clouds, fog, or rain, is strictly prohibited. Violations may lead to suspension or revocation of the paraglider’s license.
Peng’s flight came close to breaking the world record, which was also set unintentionally in 2007 when a German paraglider was pulled into a tornado like thunderstorm in Australia and lifted to approximately 9,946 meters—surpassing Mount Everest’s height of 8,848.86 meters above sea level.
Peng said he is still recovering and does not plan to fly again soon. “My fear hasn’t completely faded,” he said. “I still feel uneasy when I think about it now.”
