American Teenager Detained in Antarctica Over False Flight Plan

Ethan Guo, an aspiring pilot, faces legal issues while trying to complete his ambitious journey to land on all seven continents as part of a cancer research fundraising effort.

An American teenager's dream of flying to every continent has hit a major snag as he was detained by Chilean authorities on King George Island, part of Antarctica. Ethan Guo, 19, was grounded after submitting a misleading flight plan on his journey to fly his small Cessna 182 aircraft. According to the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics in Chile, the deviation from his initial flight plan triggered emergency protocols, leading to his apprehension after touching down at Teniente R. Marsh airport.

Mr. Guo's flight began in Punta Arenas and was intended to navigate only around that region, raising concerns according to regional prosecutor Cristian Cristoso Rifo. He now faces charges under two articles of Chile's aeronautical code, revealing the serious nature of the alleged violations, which could result in short-term imprisonment. Reports suggest that he may also have breached the Antarctic Treaty which governs international actions on the continent.

Despite the hiccup, Guo took to social media platform X to reassure his followers, stating, “I’m alive everyone, I’ll make an update soon.” In the previous 140 days of his journey, he had already graced six other continents and aims to be the first pilot to complete solo flights across all seven continents, all while raising $1 million (£731,000) for cancer research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.