An adventurous attempt by 19-year-old American pilot Ethan Guo to fly solo to every continent has hit a roadblock following his detention on King George Island in Antarctica. Guo, who has been documenting his journey online for an audience of over a million, is accused of submitting a false flight plan, which led to him being stopped by Chile's General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics.
Chilean authorities intercepted Guo after he deviated from his submitted plan, which only anticipated a flight over Punta Arenas in southern Chile. Instead, he continued beyond that, triggering alert protocols in the air traffic control system. He landed at Teniente R. Marsh airport, a site known for housing various international research stations.
After his arrival, Guo faced charges under two articles of Chile’s aeronautical code, one of which involves potential short-term imprisonment for violations. Furthermore, the authorities emphasized that Guo allegedly breached the Antarctic Treaty, which governs international relations regarding the continent.
Following his detention, Guo reassured his followers through a post on social media platform X, saying, “I’m alive everyone, I’ll make an update soon.” Before his expedition to Antarctica, Guo had successfully flown to the remaining six continents over a span of 140 days. His ultimate goal is to become the first pilot to complete solo flights across all seven continents in a Cessna 182 aircraft while also fundraising $1 million for cancer research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
