American teen detained in Antarctica while attempting solo flight to 7 continents

An American teenager was detained on an Antarctic island while attempting to pilot his small plane to every continent, said Chilean authorities, who have charged him for allegedly submitting a false flight plan. The 19-year-old pilot, Ethan Guo, denies the accusation and says the month-and-a-half-long ordeal is taking a toll on his health.

Guo gained an online following by documenting his trip around the world, which lasted well over 100 days and had already taken him to six continents prior to the Antarctic voyage, according to his website and social media posts. 

Guo said he hoped to become the first pilot to complete a solo flight across all seven continents in a small Cessna, a feat that simultaneously aims to raise $1 million for cancer research through St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. On his site, the teen cites his cousin’s 2021 cancer diagnosis as his source of inspiration.

Guo’s latest Instagram posts chronicled part of his path over southeastern Asia. Authorities in South America say he went on to traverse the Pacific Ocean, ending up in Chile before making his way toward Antarctica. 

According to Cristian Cristoso Rifo, the regional prosecutor of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Guo departed from the airport in the city of Punta Arenas, near the southernmost point of Chile, and proceeded to conduct an unauthorized flight to King George Island. Located off the Atlantic coast, the island is claimed by Chile as part of its Atlantic territory.

The young pilot landed his plane at the island’s Teniente R. Marsh Airport, where he was detained, Cristoso said in a video statement shared on social media on Monday. He said Guo submitted a flight plan that indicated his plans to fly over Punta Arenas, but not farther than that.

In a statement provided to CBS News, attorneys for Guo say those accusations are unfounded. “Documentary evidence and audio recordings provided to the prosecutor definitively show that Mr. Guo’s original destination was Ushuaia, Argentina,” they write. 

But they say due to “bureaucratic confusion,” Chilean officials told him to “circle in darkness over Tierra del Fuego before proceeding to Ushuaia at sunrise” — and that’s when he ran into dangerous flight conditions.

“He encountered instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing conditions caused by high cloud cover over the Andes, creating an imminent risk of a crash. To avert disaster, he diverted over the ocean. Once over the ocean, he experienced engine-related issues, likely to due to sudden, weather-related pressure changes.”

They say he then requested and received permission to land at the Marsh base from a high-ranking Chilean aviation official via WhatsApp.

The prosecutor’s office charged Guo for violating two articles of the Chilean Aeronautical Code, including one that calls for either short-term imprisonment or a fine brought down on anyone who lands in Chilean territory without legitimate authorization. 

The prosecutor said that in addition to his alleged breaches of the aeronautical code, Guo violated “multiple national and international” rules governing access to Antarctica and the routes taken to get there. His unauthorized flight also posed safety risks for air traffic to the frozen continent, Cristoso added.

The statement from Guo’s representatives blames prosecutors for refusing to acknowledge “clear evidence” exonerating him, “resulting in his de facto confinement on the island for a month and a half.”

They say stress of the ordeal has caused “severe deterioration in his health,” including loss of more than 40 pounds and a diagnosis with pericarditis, inflammation of tissue around the heart.

“While he is grateful for efforts to secure him passage on a boat, he is frustrated that there is no plan for his plane, preventing
him from continuing his charitable mission to raise funds for St. Jude,” they write.