Chilean authorities detained Ethan Guo on June 28, accusing him of violating multiple aviation regulations by changing his flight path without informing officials and landing in Chile’s claimed Antarctic territory, CNN reported.

“His flight plan stated he would fly over Punta Arenas, but instead he continued to Antarctica without permission and landed at Rodolfo Marsh Base,” said prosecutor Cristian Crisosto Rifo, adding that Guo had submitted false information to aviation authorities.

Officials said his actions posed a serious risk to aviation safety in Antarctica and Chile’s southern Magallanes region.

Guo not only broke Chile’s aviation laws but also breached national and international regulations governing flights to Antarctica and access to the territory, Rifo added.

Guo’s lawyer, Karina Ulloa, said he faced “many incidents during the flight” and that the Antarctic landing was simply an “exploratory flight to see if he could follow this route.”

The Chilean court has launched a 90-day investigation and banned Guo from leaving the country during this period. He must remain in Chile’s Antarctic territory until granted permission to return to Punta Arenas.

Guo, who holds a private pilot’s license with over 700 flying hours, has flown his Cessna 182Q Skylane to 48 U.S. states and crossed the Atlantic three times.

He began his solo journey in May 2024 from Memphis, Tennessee, planning to cover more than 80,000 kilometers with stops in 60 countries and territories. His goal was to raise $1 million for cancer research, sharing a message of courage, passion and kindness, News18 reported.

This is not his first run-in with authorities. In May, while flying from India to Thailand, Guo was forced to make an emergency landing in Myanmar due to bad weather and technical problems. He was interrogated for hours, detained overnight and ordered to leave the country.