What Is 'Cloud Suck'? The Rare Phenomenon That Lifted Chinese Paraglider To 28,000 Feet

NDTV

2 days ago

A dramatic video recently went viral showing a 55-year-old Chinese paraglider, Peng Yujiang, being unexpectedly lifted to an altitude of 8,598 metres over China's Qilian Mountains due to a rare phenomenon known as "cloud suck". This extreme incident has garnered significant attention online.
Peng, who was testing secondhand paragliding equipment at approximately 3,000 metres, encountered the updraft that carried him nearly 5,000 metres higher. He endured temperatures around -40 degrees Celsius and dangerously low oxygen levels. Despite experiencing hypoxia and severe frostbite, Peng managed to remain conscious and safely navigated back to the ground.
Watch the video here:
A freak updraft over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lifted Chinese Paraglider Peng Yujiang nearly nine kilometers in minutes — and the entire flight was caught on camera.
Screenshots from Peng's GPS flight tracker show he took off at 12:19 p.m. from the Qilian Mountains, an area… pic.twitter.com/ov4Ld5ARx1
— Sixth Tone (@SixthTone) May 28, 2025
"I had just bought a second-hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it, so I was conducting ground parachute shaking. After a while, the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed," Peng told CCTV Tuesday.
"I found myself surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds and trapped inside. It was terrifying - everything around me was white. Without the compass, I wouldn't have known which direction I was heading. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning. Eventually, I managed to fly out toward the northeast," he added.
A video capturing his ordeal, showing him covered in ice and visibly shaken, went viral on Douyin, China's version of TikTok. Peng and his friend, who posted the video, received six-month bans from paragliding activities due to unauthorised flight and safety violations.
What Is Cloud Suck and How It Led to Peng Yujiang's Paragliding Incident
Aviation expert Wang Yanan explained to China Media Group CGTN that the incident involving Peng Yujiang was caused by a phenomenon called cloud suck. This occurs when a paraglider is pulled into strong upward air currents near cumulonimbus clouds. These powerful updrafts can rapidly increase the pilot's altitude, but this sudden rise is both intense and unpredictable, posing serious dangers.
Wang emphasised, "Such rapid ascents are extremely hazardous. Once inside the cloud, the pilot may encounter severe cold, lack of oxygen, turbulence, and even lightning. At very high altitudes, these threats become even more severe, making cloud suck potentially life-threatening."
Additionally, Wang cautioned that flying above 8,000 metres places paragliders dangerously close to the cruising altitude of commercial aeroplanes, increasing the risk of collision and other aviation hazards.