A Chinese-American man attempting to fly solo to all seven continents was detained by authorities after reportedly landing without permission in Antarctica.
Ethan Guo, 19, is trying to set a record as the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents in a small aircraft in a quest to drum up donations for research on childhood cancer.
Guo was detained by Chilean authorities on June 28 after breaking “multiple national and international regulations” by changing his flight plans without prior notice and landing on a part of Antarctica where the South American country maintains a territorial claim, according to CNN.
According to the outlet, Chilean authorities said that on June 28, Guo submitted a false flight plan and took off from Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas as the only passenger and crew member aboard his Cessna 182Q aircraft.
Authorities said that at one point during his flight, he turned off-course toward Antarctica.
“The accused provided false information to the aeronautical authority. He submitted a flight plan indicating that he was going to fly over the city of Punta Arenas,” said Cristian Crisosto Rifo, the regional prosecutor for Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica.
“However, he continued toward Antarctica without informing anyone and without any authorization, landing at the airfield of Lieutenant Rodolfo Marsh Base in Chilean Antarctic territory. With this behaviour, the accused seriously endangered the safety of air traffic to Antarctica and the Magallanes region,” the prosecutor added.
Cristoso said that after Guo landed in Antarctica, he was detained and formally charged with violating the Aeronautical Code and multiple national and international regulations regarding routes to Antarctica.
On June 29, Guo’s lawyer said he had experienced “complications” while flying.
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“While already in the air, he began to experience a series of complications,” lawyer Karina Ulloa said.
She added that Guo claimed that he was “conducting an exploratory flight to see if he could follow this route or not.”
The Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Prosecutor’s Office said on Wednesday that Guo remained in the Chilean sector of Antarctica awaiting a commercial flight to return to the city of Punta Arenas.
The prosecutor’s office said that due to weather conditions and the lack of access to Antarctica, it has not yet been possible to arrange a flight for Guo. The Chilean court has also announced a 90-day investigation period for Guo’s case, during which the young pilot must remain in Chile.
Guo has been documenting his travels on Instagram for his 1.3 million followers. His latest post shows him flying to the Philippines on June 23.
He began his quest to travel to all seven continents in May 2024 in Memphis, Tenn., and has made multiple stops.
Guo’s original plan was to cover 80,000 kilometres over 100 days with stops in 60 countries but by June 23, he was on his 142nd day of travel. He hopes attention to the journey will raise up to US$1 million for cancer research, an ambition that started with his cousin’s Stage 4 blood cancer diagnosis.
The 19-year-old pilot reached out to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital based in Memphis and they came up with a plan for how they could work together on his journey.
Guo has raised more than $105,000 for his “flight against cancer” as of Thursday afternoon, with the goal of $1 million.
He started learning to fly at age 13 and four years later had his pilot’s licence, but insurance companies balked at covering a minor for his adventure, so he had to wait. Before his recent journey, he had clocked 700 flight hours and flown to all 48 states in the U.S.
Born in Tianjin, China, and currently living in West Palm Beach, Fla., Guo said he wanted to become a pilot to challenge himself. He foresees a career in business and tech, not aviation.
Guo’s parents were worried about his project and actively tried to stop him, forcing him to do it on his own with help from volunteers, sponsors and other supporters, he told The Associated Press.
He understood the risks, adding, “Through my experiences — like an engine failure on the very beginning of the trip … I was forced to face the fact that I could die at any point of the trip.”
— With files from The Associated Press
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