Overview

• Peng Yujiang’s practice launch from about 3,000 m in the Qilian Mountains was carried by a strong updraft to over 8,000 m without warning.
• Footage from his wing-mounted camera showed him encased in ice as temperatures plunged toward –35 °C and his hands froze.
• He spent more than an hour aloft, briefly lost consciousness during failed descent attempts and finally landed 30 km from his launch point.
• Regulators found no flight plan or registration were filed, disqualifying any altitude record and breaching aviation rules.
• Gu Zhimin was also grounded for six months after sharing the viral video on Douyin without official permission.