55-Year-Old Hit With Six-Month Flight Ban After Paragliding Incident

On May 24, a routine paragliding equipment test went wrong when a strong updraft pushed the pilot to an altitude of 28,000 feet. He was able to regain enough control to get back on the ground, where he will stay for the next six months due to the flight ban that followed.

Experienced Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang had been testing out some equipment over the Qilian Mountains near the Gansu Province in northwest China. The 55-year-old was reportedly level at around 10,000 feet when he hit a strong updraft in a cumulonimbus cloud, dramatically increasing his altitude.

“The wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air,” Peng recalled. “I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed.”

Before he knew it, Peng climbed to an altitude of 28,208 feet. He was in the clouds, making it hard to verify his position, and was exposed to harsh elements.

"It was terrifying - everything around me was white. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning," Peng continued.

Leaked footage from a 360-degree camera mounted to the paraglider shows ice forming on Peng and his equipment as they continued to climb. Peng also became extremely susceptible to a low-oxygen condition called hypoxia, which can cause confusion, loss of consciousness, or even death.

Luckily, despite going in and out of consciousness several times, Peng was able to regain control of the paraglider and made it back to the ground in one piece. However, due to the surprise nature of the incident, regulators hit him with a six-month flight suspension.

"It's still frightening to think about. I'm not sure about the future, but for now I definitely won't fly for a while," Peng noted.

FMI: www.ushpa.org