US teen Ethan Guo detained in Antarctica by Chilean authorities during 7 continent flight to raise cancer research money

Bumpy landing.

An American teen is accused of going off course and landing in Antarctica without permission as he attempts to become the youngest pilot to fly to all seven continents.

Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old aviator from Memphis, was detained and charged with submitting a false flight plan before traversing towards the South Pole on June 28, the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Prosecutor’s Office.

Guo is aiming to raise $1 million for cancer research with his high-flying campaign across the globe.

Guo, the only person aboard the Cessna 182Q, took off from Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in Punta Arenas, Chile, with plans to fly over the southern Chile port city but diverted course and headed to Antarctica.

“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 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,” Rifo said.

The base is located on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands off the coast of mainland Antarctica in the Southern Ocean.

Guo’s unannounced arrival was considered a danger to the airspace around Antarctica and the Magallanes region.

The Asian-American teen was apprehended after his landing and charged by authorities at the research base.

“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,” Rifo added.

Rifo applauded the Chilean Navy for its “impeccable work” taking in the teen and protecting the Antarctic region.

Guo’s attorney Karina Ulloa claims the teen began experiencing complications while flying and ended up in Antarctica.

“While already in the air, he began to experience a series of complications,” Ulloa told CNN, “He was conducting an exploratory flight to see if he could follow this route or not.”

The teen is being held on the Antarctic island until he is permitted to return to Chile on a commercial flight back to Punta Arenas, CNN Español reported.

Weather conditions have prohibited flights from taking off and landing on the island.

Once back in South America, Guo faces a 90-day investigation and will be forced to remain in Chile throughout the period.

Guo has documented his year-long journey on his Instagram account, where he has enlisted more than 1 million people to “follow my solo flight around the world to fight cancer.”

He last posted an update on his travels on June 23, which marked Day 142 of his trip as he flew around the Philippines.

He first took off from his hometown, Memphis, Tennessee, in May 2024, and has landed in nearly 60 countries.

Guo was inspired by his cousin’s battle with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

He set out to raise $1 million for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, according to his website, which hasn’t been updated in recent weeks.

“I admire him,” Guo said of his cousin. “He inspired me to take life more seriously and join the fight against cancer. I want to use every opportunity to raise awareness of childhood cancer and the necessity to increase research efforts to find prevention and treatment methods.”