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yesterday

Chinese Paraglider Banned Six Months After Accidental 28,000-Foot Ascent

A Gansu aviation task force is reviewing paragliding safety rules after Peng Yujiang’s accidental 8,600-meter ascent was shared online without permission.

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Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang survives accidental 8,000-metre-high flight above the clouds.
A stock image of a paraglider in the sky. On TikTok a man was filmed swooping down to a grassy area in Sydney to warn people of the police's imminent arrival.
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Overview

  • Peng Yujiang, 55, was testing a second-hand paragliding harness at roughly 3,000 meters above sea level on May 24 when a rare “cloud suck” updraft carried him to about 8,600 meters without oxygen.
  • A video posted on Douyin by pilot Gu Zhimin showed Peng coated in ice and struggling with hypoxia as he tried to regain control inside cumulonimbus clouds.
  • On May 28, the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association issued a six-month flying suspension for Peng and a similar ban for Gu for sharing the footage without authorization.
  • Authorities ruled that the unplanned ascent breached Chinese paragliding rules that forbid flights above 5,000 meters without approved flight plans and airspace clearance.
  • The incident has triggered a provincial review of paragliding safety protocols and regulatory oversight to prevent similar high-altitude accidents.