After being detained in Antarctica for allegedly providing false flight information and landing without authorization, Ethan Guo's charges have been dropped by a judge. He is now expected to leave the region after making a hefty donation to a children's cancer foundation.
Charges Dropped for Teen Pilot in Antarctica Following Controversial Landing
Charges Dropped for Teen Pilot in Antarctica Following Controversial Landing
Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old aspiring pilot, has seen charges dropped after his illegal landing in Chilean territory on a mission to raise funds for cancer research.
Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old American influencer and aspiring pilot, has had charges against him dropped after a tumultuous stay on King George Island in Antarctica. Guo, who had been attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents while raising money for cancer research, faced allegations of illegally landing his aircraft in Chilean territory.
Local authorities detained Guo in June after he landed his Cessna 182Q aircraft on King George Island, a location also claimed by Chile. The charges stemmed from accusations that he submitted a false flight plan, failing to inform officials that he intended to go beyond Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in Chile where his journey began.
A judge dismissed the charges on Monday, but not before imposing certain conditions on Guo. He must pay a significant contribution of $30,000 (£22,332) to a children’s cancer foundation and has been banned from re-entering Chile for a duration of three years. Following the ruling, Guo expressed his hopes to be able to depart Antarctica soon, stating, “I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission.”
Guo has been residing at a military base on the island for the last six weeks as he awaited the outcomes of his legal proceedings. While he was theoretically allowed to travel to other parts of Chile, severe weather conditions have hindered any possible escape from the icy island. Since initiating his journey, Guo has spent over 140 days flying and aims to raise $1 million for childhood cancer research at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis after a personal family experience with cancer motivated him to take on this ambitious project.
