A video recorded in East Java, Indonesia, caught attention on social media on July 8, 2026, by showing a farm worker being lifted by a large agricultural drone in an area related to banana cultivation.
The scene went viral because the man appears suspended above the ground while the equipment flies over a region surrounded by agricultural areas.
The recording was initially associated with the region of Jombang, but an investigation published by the local press points out that the video was made in a plantation area in the district of Merakurak, in Kabupaten Tuban, also in East Java.
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The content spread across platforms like TikTok and X after being shared by local profiles and Indonesian news pages.
In the images, the man appears attached to the equipment and being lifted by a few meters. According to the Tabloid Sinar Tani, the video is about 1 minute and 14 seconds long and shows a man being transported by a large drone.
The narrative circulating on social media said that he used the equipment to travel approximately 1.5 kilometers on a route related to a banana plantation.
Metro TV News identified the man as Daeman, a resident of Kabupaten Jombang, in East Java.
In the recording shown by the broadcaster, he appears being carried by the drone in a scene that drew attention precisely for showing an unusual application of a large agricultural equipment.
Drone was used in a rural area with difficult access
According to Budianto, director of PT Bina Tani Makmur Jombang, the drone appears in an area where access to the land is limited. According to him, the location requires travel through a rice field region, on a route of about 1.5 kilometers, which makes manual transportation of agricultural inputs difficult.
Budianto explained that the real function of the drone was to support field operations, such as the transportation of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other materials used in agricultural activity. He also stated that the equipment was used to help spray plants and in logistics activities in areas where common vehicles do not easily reach.
According to Detik, the drone used in the recording was a modified piece of equipment for agricultural activities, including the application of pesticides and liquid fertilizers over the plantation. The idea was to make the work more efficient in areas with complicated access, especially in terrains where manual movement requires more time and effort.
Metro TV News also provided new technical details about the equipment. According to the broadcaster, the drone had a load capacity of up to 100 kg, could fly at about 15 meters high, and cover up to 1 kilometer in an operation. These data help explain why the video caused such an impact on social networks, as the equipment appears lifting a rural worker into the air.
Transported man was a work partner
The person appearing in the images was not the company’s director himself. According to the investigation by Tabloid Sinar Tani and Detik, the man was an area chief and a work partner linked to the agricultural operation. The recording took place during an activity in an area that would be used for banana planting.
Budianto stated to the Indonesian press that the video was made as content for social networks and not as a daily operational practice.
He said he had already published videos of the drone transporting fertilizers and seedlings, but the content had not attracted as much attention as the recording with the worker being lifted by the equipment.
Metro TV News also reported that Daeman stated the action was done solely for content. In other words, although the drone did indeed lift the worker, the scene did not represent a normal human transportation routine within the rural property.
After the repercussion, the case raised discussions about safety and authorization for this type of use. Budianto declared that he decided to stop any transportation of people with the drone, precisely due to concerns about possible issues related to safety and flight permission.
Technology draws attention, but was not made for human transportation
The case went viral for showing an unusual application of an agricultural drone on a farm. Despite the impressive scene, confirmed information indicates that the equipment was intended for logistical support in the field, not for regular transportation of people.
The main function of the drone, according to local sources, was to carry agricultural products such as seedlings, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and materials used in planting. There was also use for spraying, especially in areas where access is difficult and manual labor requires more effort.
The repercussion also showed how agricultural drones are gaining ground in rural operations, especially in places where access is limited. Studies on the use of drones in agriculture point to applications such as spraying, crop monitoring, mapping, and support for precision agriculture. These studies also highlight challenges related to cost, regulation, operation, and safety.
In the case recorded in East Java, what caught the public’s attention was precisely the combination of agricultural technology, improvisation, and an unusual scene in the field. The video shows a worker being lifted by a drone, but local sources emphasize that the main purpose of the equipment remained to support agricultural activities.
The story gained traction because the scene seemed to show a farmer using a drone as a personal means of transportation to reach the plantation. However, the data confirmed by Tabloid Sinar Tani, Detik, and Metro TV News indicate another context: the drone was used in a rural area with difficult access, but the transport of a person was done as content for social media.
Thus, the episode became an example of how large-scale agricultural technologies can draw attention outside of their original use. The drone indeed had the capacity to lift heavy loads, but according to those responsible interviewed by the local press, its function in the field was to transport inputs, assist in spraying, and facilitate activities in an area where access by land was more complicated.
