NEED TO KNOW
- Teenage influencer Ethan Guo has reportedly been detained by authorities after landing in Antarctica without permission
- The Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a translated X post over the weekend that “a U.S. pilot” had “submitted a false flight plan”
- Guo’s flight was part of his historic attempt to fly solo to all seven continents
A teenage influencer attempting to make a historic solo flight around the world has been detained by authorities after reportedly landing without permission in Antarctica.
Asian American pilot Ethan Guo, 19, has been flying around the globe in a bid “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.
His decision to make the flight came after his cousin was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, the post stated. Guo, who has been documenting his travels on social media, has 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
Guo was reportedly detained by Chilean authorities on Saturday, June 28, after allegedly submitting a false flight plan following take-off from Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas, CNN reported.
The outlet noted he was the sole passenger on board a Cessna 182Q aircraft, registered as N182WT, stating that the vessel had allegedly headed “off course” to Antarctica.
The Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a translated X post on Sunday that “a U.S. pilot” had “submitted a false flight plan and landed on an airfield runway in Antarctica.”
The post’s caption added, “A U.S. pilot who landed without authorization in Antarctica was charged in Punta Arenas.”
“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,” Cristian Crisosto Rifo, the Regional Prosecutor of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, said, per CNN.
“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 behavior, the accused seriously endangered the safety of air traffic to Antarctica and the Magallanes region,” the prosecutor continued, according to the outlet.
Crisosto said that Guo had been detained and formally charged upon arrival in Antarctica, per CNN.
“The accused not only violated the Aeronautical Code but also multiple national and international regulations regarding routes to Antarctica and access to the white continent,” he said, the outlet noted.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed to CNN on Wednesday, July 2, that the content creator remained in Antarctica, adding that, due to weather conditions, a flight was yet to be scheduled.
Crisosto didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
Guo’s lawyer, Karina Ulloa, told reporters at a press conference on Sunday that the teenager had experienced “a series of complications” while “already in the air,” adding “that he was conducting an exploratory flight to see if he could follow this route or not,” CNN noted.
Guo will remain in the Chilean sector of Antarctica until he’s given permission by authorities to return to Punta Arenas, CNN noted, citing a Sunday confirmation by the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Prosecutor’s Office.
Guo must then stay in Chile during a 90-day investigation period into the case, which has been ordered by the Chilean court, per the outlet.
PEOPLE has attempted to reach out to Ulloa and Guo’s Flight Against Cancer for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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Guo opened up about his love of flying on his website, writing, “My passion for aviation began at the age of 13. I earned my private pilot license at 17. I am IFR-rated, which means that I can fly using instruments alone, without visual ground reference. I have flown to all 48 contiguous US states and crossed the Atlantic three times, amassing over 700 hours of flight time.”
Guo started his seven-continent challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, before traveling to New Jersey, per a Sept. 24, 2024 Instagram post. He’s since visited countries including Dubai, Pakistan, and Australia, among many more.
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