Latest news with #soloflight
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
American teen detained in Antarctica after attempting solo flight to all seven continents
An American teenager attempting a historic solo flight around the world to raise awareness for childhood cancer was detained in Antarctica after allegedly landing without proper authorization. Ethan Guo, 19, set out to become the first person in history to fly solo to all seven continents in a small Cessna 182Q aircraft. His mission: to raise $1 million for cancer research - a cause inspired by his own cousin's cancer diagnosis in 2021, according to the young pilot's website. With 60 countries visited, more than 60 takeoffs and landings, and over 700 hours of flight time, the teen has amassed millions of followers across his social media platforms, where he's been documenting his solo trip - a journey that has already stretched beyond 100 days. But on Saturday, the influencer's 'flight against cancer' came to an abrupt halt when Chilean authorities detained him, claiming he violated 'multiple national and international regulations' by landing in Antarctica without proper clearance, as reported by CNN. According to Chilean prosecutors, Guo submitted a falsified flight plan and veered off course, ultimately landing in a section of Antarctica where Chile maintains a territorial claim. 'The accused provided false information to the aeronautical authority,' Cristian Cisosto Rifo, the Regional Prosecutor of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, told CNN. 'He submitted a flight plan indicating that he was going to fly over the city of Punta Arenas,' Rifo added. 'However, he continued toward Antarctica without informing anyone and without any authorization,' he further alleged. 'With this behavior, the accused seriously endangered the safety of air traffic to Antarctica and the Magallanes region.' On June 23, Guo posted his latest update on Instagram, documenting a leg of his journey as he flew over the Philippines. 'Day 142 of flying to all 7 continents in order to raise a million dollars to fight cancer!' he captioned the post, noting that he had completed 650 miles of the journey so far. But no further post followed, as South American authorities claimed that Guo had filed a false flight plan before taking off from Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. Authorities alleged that after taking off as the sole passenger and crew member aboard the aircraft - registered as N182WT - Guo abruptly diverted from his planned submitted route, ultimately veering off course toward Antarctica. Both the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Prosecutor's Offices confirmed in a translated post on X Sunday that 'a U.S. pilot had submitted a false flight plan and landed on an airfield runway in Antarctica.' Upon landing at the Chilean-controlled airstrip, Guo was detained by authorities and formally charged with violating airspace regulations and submitting a false flight plan. '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,' Crisosto told CNN. Karina Ulloa, Guo's lawyer, said that the teenager had experienced 'a series of complications' while 'already in the air,' CNN reported. His lawyer explained that the diversion occurred because 'he was conducting an exploratory flight to see if he could follow this route or not.' As of Wednesday, the 19-year-old pilot remained in Antarctica due to weather complications that have prevented scheduling a return flight to Chile. He has been ordered to remain in the Chilean-controlled sector of Antarctica until authorities grant permission for his return to Punta Arenas. Once Guo returns to Chile, he will be required to remain in the country for a 90-day investigation period, as mandated by the Chilean court.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
US teen pilot detained in Antarctica during attempt to fly solo to all seven continents
An American teenage pilot has been detained during an attempt to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents. Ethan Guo, 19, has been accused by Chile of submitting a false flight plan and landing in Antarctica without permission. Guo hopes his quest, which began last May, will raise $1 million for cancer research and he has been charting his progress on Instagram, where he has over one million followers. His last post, uploaded on day 142 of the trip on June 23, documented a flight over the Philippines to Manila International Airport. Guo's run-in with the Chilean authorities occurred on Saturday after he took off from Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. Flying in a Cessna 182Q aircraft, he was diverted and landed at an airfield in Chilean Antarctic territory. "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," Regional Prosecutor Cristian Crisosto Rifo said in a video posted to X. "However, he continued on his way to Antarctica without any information or authorization, landing at the Lieutenant Rodolfo Marsh Base in Chilean Antarctic territory." He was detained upon landing at the air base. A lawyer for Guo told CNN that he experienced "complications" during the flight. Guo began his continent-hopping odyssey in Memphis, Tennessee, making multiple overnight stops and visiting seven countries to get to the Swiss city of Geneva, before flying to Heraklion in Greece. Since then, he's covered around 25,000 miles every 50 days in a fund-raising bid prompted by a cousin being diagnosed with Stage-4 blood cancer. Guo — born in Tianjin, China, and currently living in West Palm Beach, Florida — started learning to fly at the age of 13 and got his pilot's license four years later. Before setting off, Guo revealed that he understood the risks. He said: "Through my experiences — like an engine failure on the very beginning of the trip... I was forced to face the fact that I could die at any point."
