A paraglider who was accidentally dragged 28,000ft into the air in -40C conditions has received a stern punishment from Chinese communist authorities after he went viral.
Peng Yujian has been banned from paragliding for six months after the ordeal which saw him soaring in line with flight paths at nearly the height of Mount Everest.
The Chinese paraglider began from an elevation of around 9,800ft in the Qilian mountain range in northern China on Saturday.
He had intended to test a new second-hand equipment purchase without making a proper flight, according to an investigative report by the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association.
But just 20 minutes into his practice, he became trapped in a strong updraft which blasted him over 16,000ft higher into the icy air.
Frightening footage from Peng’s mounted camera revealed the severity of the conditions the paraglider had to endure.
Visibility was poor as he was rapidly sucked to high altitudes over the snow-topped mountains while he struggled to cling on to his parachute.
He was seen soaring above the clouds and covered in icicles as the temperature plummeted to a reported -35C as he tried to regain control over his equipment.
Peng Yujian has been banned from paragliding for six months after the ordeal which saw him soaring in line with flight paths at nearly the height of Mount Everest
The paraglider, who miraculously survived the chilling ordeal, managed to catch a clip moment of the incident on camera which has now made its rounds on social media
The paraglider was not wearing an oxygen mask which left him fully exposed to the dangerous elements.
However, Peng miraculously remained conscious throughout the ordeal and managed to successfully land his parachute safely.
Following the incident, he recalled experiencing hypoxia and having his hands exposed to the freezing cold temperatures above the clouds, according to local reports.
‘I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time,’ he said
The paraglider was left with extensive frostbite following the ordeal.
Authorities praised Peng’s survival, conceding it was an accident.
A ‘normal person cannot be exposed at 8,000metres without oxygen [so] this is not something that can be done voluntarily’ said a sports bureau official, according to Sixth Tone.
But Peng, who has around five years’ experience paragliding, had never intended to leave ground level meaning he had not registered any flight plans.
Under regulations, this meant his ordeal was ‘not subject to relevant approvals’, the report said.
The man took off for his flight from an altitude of around 9,800ft over the Qilian Mountains
The paraglider can be seen dangling above the clouds – visibly frozen with his hair, beard, and protective gear covered in frost
In response he was banned from flying for six months.
The bureau report, based on an interview with Peng, said he was in the air for more than an hour, and had stayed in radio contact with his friend, Gu Zhimin, who was still on the ground.
The report said he had attempted to return to land but his efforts were ‘ineffective’, and as he flew higher he became confused and briefly lost consciousness.
Peng was eventually able to land about 30km from the launch site, where he was met by Gu and another friend.
Gu later posted a video of Peng’s flight and comments on the ground to Douyin, China’s domestic version of TikTok, where it soon went viral.
‘Gu Zhimin posted a flight video without permission, which had a bad impact,’ the report said.
‘He was grounded for six months and asked to write a report to deeply reflect on the negative impact of his behaviour.’
The man miraculously remained conscious throughout the ordeal and managed to successfully land his parachute safely
The bureau said any record broken by Peng’s flight would not be officially counted because his flight was not registered.
Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that aerial activities need prior airspace approval from air traffic control.
Paragliding activities have to be carried out according to a pre-arranged plan, and trips are prohibited under adverse weather conditions.
Changing flight plans without authorisation is also not allowed.
