Who is 19-year-old US influencer pilot Ethan Guo, and why is he stuck in Antarctica?

A daring globe-spanning mission has come to an icy halt for Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old pilot and Instagram influencer with more than 1.4 million followers. Guo set out to become the first person to fly solo to all seven continents while raising money for childhood cancer research — but his dream has been frozen in Antarctica, tangled in legal trouble after an unauthorized landing.

Chilean authorities allege Guo veered off his approved flight path, touching down in a Chile-claimed section of Antarctica without clearance. Prosecutors accuse him of deliberately filing a false flight plan before making the detour. He has now spent weeks stranded at a remote Antarctic outpost, with his small aircraft grounded and living expenses running at about $600 a day, entirely at his own cost.

A Chilean judge has offered a lifeline: pay $30,000 to a children’s cancer charity within 30 days, leave the country immediately, and remain out of Chile for three years. If Guo fails to meet the deadline, the legal case will proceed. His lawyer claims he was on an “exploratory flight” when mechanical issues forced the landing — an explanation prosecutors reject.


If he complies, Guo could depart in early October, either aboard a military vessel or via a commercial flight from Punta Arenas. Until then, the journey he once livestreamed to inspire has become a global spectacle.

All about Ethan Guo

Guo’s love of aviation began at 13, leading to a private pilot’s license at 17 and an IFR rating, enabling him to fly solely by instruments. By September 2024, he had already visited all 48 contiguous U.S. states, crossed the Atlantic three times, and logged over 700 hours of flight time. His mission took on deeper meaning in 2021, when his cousin was diagnosed with blood cancer — inspiring him to combine adventure with advocacy.

The trip began in Memphis, home to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and has so far taken him to six continents, where he has met child cancer patients and worked with experts to raise awareness. Now, the final leg — Antarctica — has become his biggest challenge yet, testing not just his piloting skills, but his resilience.