Overview

• A 55-year-old pilot testing a used wing in Gansu’s Qilian range was swept from roughly 3,000m to 8,589m by powerful updrafts.
• He lost consciousness in subzero temperatures and low oxygen before regaining control to descend and alert his team.
• Video footage posted on social media spurred local aviation authorities to launch an investigation.
• Regulators imposed a six-month flying ban on the pilot and suspended a companion who shared the footage without approval.
• Chinese state television later removed references to the sanctions from its online coverage without explanation.