How a teen pilot ended up stranded at an Antarctic military base
Authorities in Chile initiated an investigation after Guo illegally landed his plane in Chilean territory, accused of providing false flight plan information.
Guo was charged with providing false information and landing without authorisation, but a judge dropped the charges as part of an agreement.
The agreement requires Guo to donate $30,000 to a children's cancer foundation, leave Chile when conditions allow, and be prohibited from re-entering for three years.
Guo remains at a military base in Antarctica, unable to fly his plane and awaiting approval for his departure flight, and is also responsible for his security and maintenance costs.
US teen pilot stranded in Antarctica after landing without permission
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
American teen is STILL trapped in Antarctica five weeks after 'illegal' charity flight to frozen continent
An American teen has been trapped in Antarctica for five weeks after an 'illegal' charity flight to the frozen continent. Ethan Guo, a 20-year-old influencer was attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents, when he landed at a remote Chilean military base on Antarctic territory in June. He has been stuck on at the base ever since. Police say Guo lied to aviation officials by filing false flight plan information that indicated he would only fly over Punta Arenas in southern Chile. Instead, he pushed further south in his single-engine Cessna 182Q and landed in Chilean Antarctic territory without authorization. Chilean prosecutors charged Guo on June 29 with providing false information to ground control and landing illegally. On Monday a judge agreed to drop the charges under a deal between prosecutors and Guo's lawyers. The condition is that he is required to donate $30,000 to a children's cancer charity within 30 days, leave Chile as soon as possible and stay out of the country for three years. Guo told the Associated Press he is 'relieved by the outcome' in a text message. Police say Guo lied to aviation officials by filing false flight plan information that indicated he would only fly over Punta Arenas in southern Chile 'I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight,' Guo told the outlet. 'I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission.' Daily Mail reached out to Guo for comment. For the past six weeks Guo has been staying at a military base due to the harsh winter weather, which as has grounded regular flights out of the area. Guo's own plane has been deemed unfit to fly by Chilean officials. Prosecutor Cristián Crisosto said the Cessna, a light aircraft better suited to regional trips, 'does not have the capabilities to make a flight.' Guo started his journey in Memphis, Tennessee. Before leaving for Antarctica he had already travelled to six out of the seven continents: North America, South America Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. In May he admitted to feeling afraid during his journey but said that he remained positive. 'To be honest, many times I am scared,' Guo told KTVU. 'It's not a guarantee that I'll be able to complete this journey and on many fronts there are risks. 'But I think if you have something that you believe in and you find something that you believe is worth fighting for, I think even with the risk you should take it on.' 'What I say to people is: Aim as big as you can, break it down to digestible steps. 'Work towards it step by step,' he said.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Who is Ethan Guo? The teenage influencer trying to fly across all seven continents solo
An American teen influencer, who embarked on an ambitious cancer research fundraising flight around the world last year, has been stranded in a remote location in Antarctica for almost two months. Authorities say Ethan Guo landed his small plane illegally in Chilean territory and he was charged on June 29 with handing false information to ground control and landing without authorization. However, on Monday, a judge dropped the charges as part of an agreement with his lawyers and Chile's prosecutors. It requires the teen to give a $30,000 donation to a children's cancer foundation within 30 days to avoid a trial. He must also leave the country as soon as conditions permit and is prohibited from reentering Chilean territory for three years. Who is Ethan Guo? Ethan Guo is a 19-year-old Asian American pilot and influencer who is attempting to become the first person to fly solo across all seven continents. The teenager is piloting a 50-year-old Cessna 182Q – a single-engine light aircraft known for its versatility – named Whiskey Tango. According to Guo, who has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, the plane suffered engine failure soon after he began his first attempt at the historic journey. How did he learn to fly? Guo says his passion for aviation began at the age of 13 and he earned his private pilot license at 17 – having been homeschooled to accommodate flight training and preparation. The teenager is now IFR-rated, meaning he can fly using instruments alone, without visual ground reference. So far, Guo has flown to all 48 contiguous U.S. states and crossed the Atlantic three times, amassing over 700 hours of flight time. He began his seven-continent journey in September 2024. Why is making the historic trip? Guo's journey started out as simply a passion and an achievement to aim for, but later took a more personal turn when his cousin was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2021. Guo cites his cousin as the inspiration 'to take life more seriously' and has joined the fight against cancer. His journey is now also a way to raise awareness of childhood cancer. "It was extremely unexpected because he was young, 17, 18 at that time," Guo told KTUV in May. "And it was stage 4 blood cancer, which is not very good unfortunately, and I was like, 'what can I do to help?'" On his website, the teenager states he is aiming to raise $1 million for cancer research and awareness through St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. How is he funding his trip? According to Guo, while his trip was simply a personal goal, he encountered funding challenges and worked different jobs to help pay for his training, while constantly searching for sponsors. Now, though he has amassed financial backers across the world, including places such as Dubai, whom he has stopped in to visit along the way. He also accrues funds through his social media content and collaborations with traditional media outlets. The journey so far Guo's journey started in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Since then, he has travelled to six out of the seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia – stopping at hospitals along the way to meet with child cancer patients, and discuss raising awareness with experts and medical professionals. The trip has not been without its perils, with Guo coming up against extreme weather, mechanical failures, brushes with military forces in several countries, and even detainment in Myanmar. The teenager was grounded in the Chilean territory of King George Island off the Atlantic coast in June, and despite charges being dropped, he has been unable to fly on so far due to adverse weather conditions. Advice to others Guo has been honest about facing loneliness during his epic trip across the world. "To be honest, many times I am scared," he told KTVU in May. "It's not a guarantee that I'll be able to complete this journey and on many fronts there are risks. 'But I think if you have something that you believe in and you find something that you believe is worth fighting for, I think even with the risk you should take it on." However, he has remained determined and advises others to keep aiming for big things. 'What I say to people is aim as big as you can, break it down to digestible steps and work towards it step by step,' he said.
ITV News
a day ago
- ITV News
Influencer stuck in Antarctica since June can leave after paying £22,000
Ethan Guo was on a mission to help raise funds for children's cancer and break a flying record. But in June, his journey around the world took an unexpected turn, and for the past two months, Guo has been stuck in a remote location in Chilean Antarctic territory. The influencer began his journey last year, attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents. At the same time, he was raising money for children's cancer research inspired by his cousin's battle with the disease. Antarctica was the next destination on his list. But upon arriving there, local authorities accused Guo of landing his small plane illegally after providing false flight plan information to officials. Prosecutors say Guo was authorised to fly his plane over Punta Arenas, but instead, he kept going south, heading for Antarctica. On June 29, Guo was charged with handing false information to ground control and landing without authorisation. He was not allowed to leave the region and stayed at a military base for his two-month sojourn. In addition, severe weather and wintry conditions meant flights were cancelled, and officials suggested that his plane was not in a fit state to fly. Ethan began his journey in 2024, with the hopes of being the youngest pilot to fly to all seven continents whilst raising money for children's cancer. On Monday, a judge dropped the charges against Guo as part of an agreement with his lawyers and Chilean prosecutors. The agreement requires the influencer to donate $30,000 (around £22,000) to a children's cancer charity within 30 days, to avoid going to trial. He's also required to leave the country as soon as conditions allow him to do so and is prohibited from returning to Chilean territory for three years. Chilean prosecutor Cristián Crisoto told reporters that Guo's plane 'does not have the capabilities to make a flight", but did not say what this meant. But the influencer said he is talking with this lawyer to see if there's a way he can fly it. Speaking to ITV News' US partner AP, Guo said he remains "in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight. 'I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission.' The prosecutor's office said Guo must also pay all costs for his 'aircraft security and personal maintenance' during his stay at the military facility. He also needs to cover all expenses for his return.
