Watch: Pilot Steers Paraglider Onto Highway To Avoid Vehicles After Mid-Air Emergency Near Manali

A paraglider pilot who lost control of his glider and landed in an emergency on a highway near Manali, Himachal Pradesh, was captured on camera. The video has been posted on social media and is so popular that it has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, which depicts the pilot landing the glider on an open road without nearby homes, avoiding traffic. The pilot was able to escape with minor injuries.

Viral Video Shows Emergency Landing On Highway

The shooting was reported on Sunday, near Raison on Chandigarh-Mandi Highway. The airman had to make a fast decision as the paraglider suddenly lost altitude and became unstable while in flight, according to witnesses.

The pilot avoided an area of traffic near vehicles, or residential buildings, and landed in an open area of the highway, which prevented a potentially serious crash. The people on the ground rushed to assist the pilot, took him out of danger and reported the situation. There was a brief disruption of traffic in the area while they were making the emergency landing.

Weather Conditions Under Scanner

The first reports say the pilot has sustained only minor injuries and is in no danger. Sudden weather changes or strong winds could have contributed to the loss of control, authorities said, but they're still probing what caused it.

The video of the incident has gone viral on social media, highlighting the dangers of adventure sports during the rainy season.

#Breaking

हिमाचल प्रदेश के कुल्लू के रायसन क्षेत्र में एक पैराग्लाइडर की बीच सड़क पर लैंडिंग।

बताया जा रहा है कि उड़ान के दौरान मौसम और हवा की दिशा में अचानक बदलाव के कारण पैराग्लाइडर निर्धारित लैंडिंग स्थल तक नहीं पहुंच सका और उसे सड़क पर आपातकालीन लैंडिंग करनी पड़ी। pic.twitter.com/mSQLmo2yEL

— Amit Pandey (@amitpandaynews) July 6, 2026

Series Of Paragliding Accidents Raise Concerns

The recent incident has brought the issue of safety of paragliding to the forefront and in recent years several such accidents have been reported in Himachal Pradesh.

Last year, a tourist from Tamil Nadu died and a pilot suffered serious injuries in an accident that occurred when two paragliders crashed at the paragliding site in Gadsa in Kullu in January last year. The other accident occurred in 2024 when the 43-year-old woman died after she crashed into a mountainside near Marhi, near Manali, in the Czech Republic.