An American teenager was detained on an Antarctic island whereas making an attempt to pilot his small aircraft to each continent, stated Chilean authorities, who’ve charged him for allegedly submitting a false flight plan. The 19-year-old pilot, Ethan Guo, denies the accusation and says the month-and-a-half-long ordeal is taking a toll on his well being.
Guo gained a web-based following by documenting his journey all over the world, which lasted effectively over 100 days and had already taken him to 6 continents previous to the Antarctic voyage, in keeping with his web site and social media posts.
Guo stated he hoped to turn into the primary pilot to finish a solo flight throughout all seven continents in a small Cessna, a feat that concurrently goals to boost $1 million for most cancers analysis by St. Jude Kids’s Analysis Hospital. On his website, the teenager cites his cousin’s 2021 most cancers prognosis as his supply of inspiration.
Guo’s newest Instagram posts chronicled a part of his path over southeastern Asia. Authorities in South America say he went on to traverse the Pacific Ocean, ending up in Chile earlier than making his method towards Antarctica.
Jorge Saenz / AP
In accordance to Cristian Cristoso Rifo, the regional prosecutor of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Guo departed from the airport within the metropolis of Punta Arenas, close to the southernmost level of Chile, and proceeded to conduct an unauthorized flight to King George Island. Positioned off the Atlantic coast, the island is claimed by Chile as a part of its Atlantic territory.
The younger pilot landed his aircraft on the island’s Teniente R. Marsh Airport, the place he was detained, Cristoso stated in a video assertion shared on social media on Monday. He stated Guo submitted a flight plan that indicated his plans to fly over Punta Arenas, however not farther than that.
In a press release offered to CBS Information, attorneys for Guo say these accusations are unfounded. “Documentary proof and audio recordings offered to the prosecutor definitively present that Mr. Guo’s authentic vacation spot was Ushuaia, Argentina,” they write.
However they are saying as a consequence of “bureaucratic confusion,” Chilean officers advised him to “circle in darkness over Tierra del Fuego earlier than continuing to Ushuaia at dawn” — and that is when he bumped into harmful flight situations.
“He encountered instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing situations brought on by excessive cloud cowl over the Andes, creating an imminent danger of a crash. To avert catastrophe, he diverted over the ocean. As soon as over the ocean, he skilled engine-related points, prone to as a consequence of sudden, weather-related strain adjustments.”
They are saying he then requested and acquired permission to land on the Marsh base from a high-ranking Chilean aviation official through WhatsApp.
The prosecutor’s workplace charged Guo for violating two articles of the Chilean Aeronautical Code, together with one which requires both short-term imprisonment or a high-quality introduced down on anybody who lands in Chilean territory with out legit authorization.
The prosecutor stated that along with his alleged breaches of the aeronautical code, Guo violated “a number of nationwide and worldwide” guidelines governing entry to Antarctica and the routes taken to get there. His unauthorized flight additionally posed security dangers for air site visitors to the frozen continent, Cristoso added.
The assertion from Guo’s representatives blames prosecutors for refusing to acknowledge “clear proof” exonerating him, “leading to his de facto confinement on the island for a month and a half.”
They are saying stress of the ordeal has induced “extreme deterioration in his well being,” together with lack of greater than 40 kilos and a prognosis with pericarditis, irritation of tissue across the coronary heart.
“Whereas he’s grateful for efforts to safe him passage on a ship, he’s pissed off that there isn’t a plan for his aircraft, stopping
him from persevering with his charitable mission to boost funds for St. Jude,” they write.
