American Pilot Departs King George Island On Chilean Navy Ship

Ethan Guo, the 20-year-old American pilot seeking to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents in his pursuit to raise money for cancer research, was permitted to leave King George Island in Antarctica two months after landing there under disputed circumstances.

Guo was detained, though not imprisoned or jailed, by Chilean authorities when they claimed he filed false flight plan information on mainland Chile, saying his flight plan indicated he would not fly beyond Punta Arenas.

However, while in the air, Guo lost radio contact and declared an emergency. He said he diverted to Antarctica and landed at the military base on King George Island with “explicit, direct permission” from Chilean authorities.

He was charged with landing without a permit, but in August, a Chilean court suspended his case and ordered him to donate $30,000 to a local charity in exchange.

After being permitted to leave King George Island, Guo said his legal situation was “deeply unfair” and is considering further legal action.

Guo said in the statement, "As I have maintained from the start, I faced an in-air emergency and was granted approval by Chilean authorities to land on King George Island. I am pleased that the agreement with the prosecutor's office closes the matter with no charges filed and no penalties imposed. This resolution reflects the facts."

He continued, "That said, the legal process was deeply unfair. My phone and documents were taken and I was prevented from sharing them with my attorneys. During the initial proceedings, I was not allowed to present evidence, and the public defender assigned to me neither spoke English nor was supported by a translator."

Guo was able to leave the island on a Chilean Navy ship, and said that “as a gesture of goodwill” he is making a donation to the children’s cancer charity in Chile, Fundación Nuestros Hijos.

He intends to resume his plan to fly solo to all seven continents, saying, "We are coordinating with Chile's aviation authority, who have been supportive in arranging for another pilot to fly the aircraft to the mainland. Once that occurs, I look forward to resuming my global fight against cancer."

FMI:  www.gob.cl/