Prosecutors allege that 19-year-old Ethan Guo deliberately deviated from his flight plan over the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas to fly to the Chilean air base in Antarctica.

“With this behaviour, the accused seriously endangered the safety of air traffic to Antarctica and the Magallanes region,” they said in a statement.

Guo was immediately detained on his arrival at the air base on Saturday 28 June and remains in Antarctica.

His lawyer, Karina Ulloa, has claimed that Guo experienced “complications” while flying and was forced to divert to the air base, CNN reports.

Guo must remain in Chile for the duration of a 90-day investigation period.