An American teenager, Ethan Guo, has been detained on an Antarctic island amid his ambitious attempt to fly his small plane to each continent—an effort being closely monitored online by more than a million followers. According to reports from Chilean authorities, Guo, 19, was apprehended after submitting an inaccurate flight plan, which led to the activation of alert protocols, as detailed by Chile's General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics.
Guo landed on King George Island, which hosts various international research stations and is characterized by frigid July temperatures. His journey began from Punta Arenas, Chile, located near the southern tip of the country, as he piloted his Cessna 182 aircraft to the island claimed by Chile and named after King George III of England.
Upon his arrival at Teniente R. Marsh airport, Guo was detained. Initial reports indicated that he had filed a plan to fly over Punta Arenas but did not intend to go further, which raised legal concerns. He now faces charges for violating two articles of Chile's aeronautical code, including one that entails the possibility of short-term imprisonment. Additionally, authorities have accused him of breaching the Antarctic Treaty, a pivotal agreement governing international relations on the largely uninhabited continent.
Despite the turmoil, Guo reached out to his followers on X (formerly Twitter), assuring them of his safety and promising further updates. His journey has already seen him successfully navigate to all the other six continents over the span of 140 days. With hopes to make history as the first pilot to solo-fly across all seven continents in a Cessna, Guo is additionally raising funds for cancer research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, aiming for a target of $1 million (£731,000).
Guo landed on King George Island, which hosts various international research stations and is characterized by frigid July temperatures. His journey began from Punta Arenas, Chile, located near the southern tip of the country, as he piloted his Cessna 182 aircraft to the island claimed by Chile and named after King George III of England.
Upon his arrival at Teniente R. Marsh airport, Guo was detained. Initial reports indicated that he had filed a plan to fly over Punta Arenas but did not intend to go further, which raised legal concerns. He now faces charges for violating two articles of Chile's aeronautical code, including one that entails the possibility of short-term imprisonment. Additionally, authorities have accused him of breaching the Antarctic Treaty, a pivotal agreement governing international relations on the largely uninhabited continent.
Despite the turmoil, Guo reached out to his followers on X (formerly Twitter), assuring them of his safety and promising further updates. His journey has already seen him successfully navigate to all the other six continents over the span of 140 days. With hopes to make history as the first pilot to solo-fly across all seven continents in a Cessna, Guo is additionally raising funds for cancer research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, aiming for a target of $1 million (£731,000).
