May 12, 2008, a magnitude-8.0 earthquake broke out in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province, killing nearly 70,000 people. At 12:30 on May 14, 15 pioneers from a unit of the airborne troops parachuted from the altitude of 4,999m at the risk of their lives to collect information about the quake-hit region. It was a suicidal operation because never in the world military aviation history has anyone parachuted with absolutely zero meteorological information, ground indication, and commanding and guidance.
