Teen Pilot, On Mission To Raise Money, Held In Antarctica For Modifying Plan Without Notifying ATC

Last Updated:July 02, 2025, 09:41 IST

Teen pilot Ethan Guo was arrested in Antarctica for altering his flight plan without notifying air traffic control. He was on a mission to raise $1 million for cancer research.

Chinese-American pilot Ethan Guo (Image: Instagram)

A teenage pilot was arrested upon landing in Antarctica for modifying his flight plan without informing the respective air traffic control centres.

According to an Instagram post, the 19-year-old pilot, identified as Ethan Guo, is flying around the world, specifically to all 7 continents, to raise 1 million dollars for cancer research.

The Chinese-American pilot recently took off from Punta Arenas airport in Chile before modifying his flight plan. However, he did not notify the change of plan to the respective air traffic control centres of the airport, it was known.

The post claimed that the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics termed the pilot’s flight an “unauthorised operation at the airfield in Antarctica" and said “it implied non-compliance with the Antarctic Statute".

Guo has over a million followers on Instagram. He started the mission after his cousin was diagnosed with cancer.

“I want to take advantage of every opportunity to raise awareness about childhood cancer and the need to intensify research to find methods of prevention and treatment," he said.

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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News world Teen Pilot, On Mission To Raise Money, Held In Antarctica For Modifying Plan Without Notifying ATC