American Teenage Aviator Detained In Antarctica After Attempted Solo Flight to 7 Continents

Ethan Guo poses for the camera. Image Credit: SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

In an attempt to fly to seven continents alone, 19-year-old pilot, Ethan Guo, has found himself detained after reportedly landing without permission in Antarctica.

Guo, an Asian-American influencer and aviator with 1.3 million followers on Instagram, has been flying around the globe in an attempt to become the first person in history to fly solo to all seven continents in a small aircraft and raise $1 million for cancer research," per a message on his website.

However, Guo was arrested by Chilean authorities for submitting a false flight plan. According to the charges, Guo “submitted a flight plan indicating that he was going to fly over the city of Punta Arenas,” however did not indicate his plans beyond that. “He continued toward Antarctica without informing anyone and without any authorization,” Cristian Crisosto Rifo, the Regional Prosecutor of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, said, per CNN.

Guo’s lawyer, Karina Ulloa, shared that the teen pilot had experienced “a series of complications” and added that “he was conducting an exploratory flight to see if he could follow this route or not.”

After landing in Antarctica, Guo was formally charged with violating two articles of the country’s aeronautical code, including one that could lead to short-term imprisonment.

The Chilean court decreed a 90-day investigation for this case, during which Guo is to remain in Chile, until authorities give him permission to return to the city of Punta Arenas.