Steve Fossett is Missing as of 9/4/07 [Archive]

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Brian McVickers

09-04-2007, 11:14 PM

AP is reporting that Steve Fossett is missing after taking off in a small single engine airplane from an airstrip in Nevada.

Steve Fossett is a very well known explorer who has done some amazing things with aircraft and sailboats among other achievements.

Let's hope he's OK.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/STEVE_FOSSETT?

SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULTMINDEN, Nev. (AP) -- Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who has cheated death time and again in his successful pursuit of aviation records, was missing Tuesday after taking off in a single-engine plane the day before to scout locations for a land-speed record, officials said.

Teams searched a broad swath of rugged terrain in western Nevada near the ranch where he took off, but searchers had little to go on because he apparently didn't file a flight plan, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said.

"They are working on some leads, but they don't know where he is right now," FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

Fossett, the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon, was seeking places for an upcoming attempt to break the land speed record in a car, said Sir Richard Branson, the U.K. billionaire who has helped finance many of Fossett's adventures.

The 63-year-old took off alone at 8:45 a.m. Monday from an airstrip at hotel magnate Barron Hilton's Flying M Ranch, about 70 miles southeast of Reno. A friend reported him missing when he didn't return, authorities said.

Thirteen aircraft were searching for Fossett in addition to ground crews, said Maj. Cynthia S. Ryan of the Civil Air Patrol. The teams were doing "grid" searches over hundreds of square miles.

"We are committing maximum resources to this effort," she said. "As far as we know now, it is still a rescue mission."

The search area is varied, ranging from high desert terrain with dry lake beds and sagebrush, but also some rugged mountain peaks, she said. Gusty winds were hampering the search and could end up suspending the air search effort, Ryan said.

It is not uncommon for pilots flying out of a remote, private airstrip to do so without filing a flight plan, Ryan said. Fossett had "full radio capability" but did not make radio contact with anyone at the ranch after his takeoff.

In 2002, Fossett became the first person to fly around the world alone in a balloon. In two weeks, his balloon flew 19,428.6 miles around the Southern Hemisphere. The record came after five previous attempts - some of them spectacular and frightening failures.

It is among dozens of firsts claimed by Fossett in his life as an adventurer, which he embarked on after a successful career in securities. He set marks for speed or distance in balloons, airplanes, gliders, sailboats - even cross-country skis and an airship, according to his Web site.

In March 2005, he became the first person to fly a plane solo around the world without refueling. He and a co-pilot also claim to have set a world glider altitude record of 50,671 feet during a flight in August 2006 over the Andes Mountains.

Branson said in a statement that Fossett's flight Monday was preparation for a shot at yet another mark: He was searching for dry lake beds that might be suitable for an attempt to break the land speed record in a car.

Fossett was flying solo and was carrying four full tanks of gas on board, Branson said.

"Steve is a tough old boot. I suspect he is waiting by his plane right now for someone to pick him up," he said. "The ranch he took off from covers a huge area, and Steve has had far tougher challenges to overcome in the past. Based on his track record, I feel confident we'll get some good news soon."

Fossett has an application pending before the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for a permit to attempt the land-speed record on federal land in north-central Nevada's Eureka County, more than 150 miles away, BLM officials said Tuesday.

Chris Worthington, a spokesman for the BLM in Battle Mountain, Nev., said he spoke with Fossett as recently as last week. He was unaware of any other sites Fossett may have been considering.

Ryan described Fossett's plane as a Bellanca Citabria Super Decathalon, blue and white with orange stripes and blue sunburst designs on the wings. The two-seat tandem "tail dragger" is capable of aerobatic maneuvers, Ryan said.

FAA records show the registered owner is Flying M Hunting Club Inc. of Yerington, Nev. The agency certified it Aug. 21, 1980.

A telephone message left for a Peggy Fossett in Beaver Creek, Colo., where Steve Fossett lives, was not immediately returned. A woman who answered the telephone at Flying M Ranch on Tuesday confirmed Fossett took off from there Monday but declined to comment further or to identify herself.

John Kugler, a longtime friend who taught Fossett ballooning, described Hilton's ranch as a place where aviation enthusiasts gather for weekends of good food and flying.

Kugler said that Fossett is a careful, capable flyer and that his aircraft is a "safe plane," and he held out hope Fossett would be found alive.

"They're going to find him on a mountainside," Kugler said. "He's going to be hungry and want some good food."

Fossett, a Stanford University graduate with a master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, went to Chicago to work in the securities business and ultimately founded his own firm, Marathon Securities.

Fossett has climbed some of the world's best-known peaks, including the Matterhorn in Switzerland and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He also swam the English Channel in 1985, placed 47th in the Iditarod dog sled race in 1992, participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race in 1996 and broke the round-the-world sailing record by six days in 2004.

In 1995, Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon, landing in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Fossett was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in July. He told a crowd gathered at the Dayton Convention Center in Ohio that he would continue flying.

"I'm hoping you didn't give me this award because you think my career is complete, because I'm not done," Fossett said.

Fossett said he planned to go to Argentina in November in an effort to break a glider record.

Grim Reaper

09-04-2007, 11:43 PM

Keeping my fingers crossed he had engine problems and set down some where and just cant get radio out.

bovw

09-05-2007, 11:04 AM

Saw this this morning on the news, hope everything is OK.

The BN Guy

09-05-2007, 02:08 PM

I heard about it but didn't realize who he was until the news last night. He's the one that flew around the world nonstop in a plane with a woman co-pilot right? They said on the news he was the first one to fly around with in a balloon.

HMR

09-05-2007, 02:20 PM

He's the one that flew around the world nonstop in a plane with a woman co-pilot right?That was Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

Let's hope for the best for Fossett.

The BN Guy

09-05-2007, 03:11 PM

Gotcha. They showed pictures of their plane and of Fossett. Boy am I confused.:oops:

adventureduo

09-05-2007, 08:46 PM

Im still trying to figure out with all the technology he and his team have, that he's not being tracked every second of his whereabouts. It seems odd to me that he could just disappear.

Hltoppr

09-05-2007, 09:11 PM

No ELT either....hmmm.....:(

-H-

bajasurf

09-05-2007, 09:28 PM

adventureduo

09-05-2007, 10:24 PM

He was searching for dry lake beds that might be suitable for an attempt to break the land speed record in a car.

Hasn't he ever heard of bonneville?

Scenic WonderRunner

09-05-2007, 11:09 PM

Hasn't he ever heard of bonneville?

I thought the Very Same Thing!

If he hit a mountain.....probably no chance.

If he could land in a flat....he has a chance....they just need to find him.

I sure hope there is Not an unhappy ending!

.

Nullifier

09-06-2007, 12:20 AM

Not to be morbid but it always seems that great adventurers die from the most basic things ya know. I hope it turns out he is ok!

HMR

09-06-2007, 12:52 AM

I listened to a phone call between a close friend of Steve's and a Fox news reporter and the friend says that Steve at the last moment took a single engine plane that he had never flown before. Took off from a ranch and the plane belonged to the ranch owner.This explains the reasons that the plane and Steve are missing.as the plane was not equipped with tracking devices. No cell phone either.Unbelievable. That means the plane belonged to Barron Hilton. Mr. Hilton is a serious aviation enthusiast. I'd be surprised if he's lending out aircraft without survival kits onboard considering where his ranch is located. I used to have to fly over that area in single-engine aircraft and would always pack extra water and clothing, "just in case". I also can't imagine Fossett being without a cell or Sat phone. It's standard procedure to carry a Sat phone for that type of flying. The aircraft he reportedly borrowed is a Super Decathalon. It's a tail-wheel, fabric covered model that's been around for 40+ years. It's highly maneuverable and can be flown at VERY slow speeds. The chances of surviving a controlled landing "off airport" in a Decathalon are excellent. However, if he didn't have any experience in the aircraft (again, hard to believe) all bets are off.

offroad_nomad

09-06-2007, 01:37 PM

I hope they find him alive with a big grin on his face yelling "What took ya so long?"

Brian McVickers

09-06-2007, 06:23 PM

I hope they find him alive with a big grin on his face yelling "What took ya so long?"

His support team has reported that he has gone down a few times before. One time he hiked out 30 miles to be rescued!

adventureduo

09-07-2007, 05:13 PM

Is he still missing? Anyone have any new info for today?

FortyMileDesert

09-07-2007, 07:21 PM

Is he still missing? Anyone have any new info for today?
Still missing. This chunk of Nevada is a very big place with very few people. Since he had several hours of fuel on board and no one has any idea where he was going; the plane might not be located for months or years.....

SOAZ

09-07-2007, 10:02 PM

The name escapes me, but on NPR they were talking about a couple of planes equipted with some neat technology that were sent to help in the rescue. A sophisticated computer imaging device that could recognise shapes on the ground as well as colors. They input in the colors and a very general shape and start flying. It will find man made things that even mildly resemble that object. They can fly higher and cover much more ground than just looking out the windows. Sounded cool!!

AZTrooper

09-07-2007, 10:54 PM

I would imagine that with that kind of money, it wouldn't be hard to "disappear" if one was so inclined.

bigreen505

09-07-2007, 11:01 PM

I would imagine that with that kind of money, it wouldn't be hard to "disappear" if one was so inclined.

He is not the kind to disappear.

adventureduo

09-07-2007, 11:36 PM

no one has any idea where he was going

That's smart.

TheRoadie

09-08-2007, 01:45 AM

I would imagine that with that kind of money, it wouldn't be hard to "disappear" if one was so inclined.With that kind of money, I'm shocked he doesn't fly, hike, or walk around in the open without a couple of $600 PLBs on his person. Heck, he could have one made that triggered if his pulse went away, so at least his body could be found before the coyotes.

ntsqd

09-08-2007, 02:29 AM

bigreen505

09-08-2007, 05:09 AM

With that kind of money, I'm shocked he doesn't fly, hike, or walk around in the open without a couple of $600 PLBs on his person. Heck, he could have one made that triggered if his pulse went away, so at least his body could be found before the coyotes.

Actually from what I understand he had two, one on the plane and his watch. Neither have been activated.

calamaridog

09-08-2007, 03:37 PM

Aviator's fate puzzles search crews

By TOM GARDNER, Associated Press Writer
Sat Sep 8, 7:42 AM ET

In their quest to find missing aviator Steve Fossett, searchers have come across uncharted plane crashes six times. But none of the wrecks shed light on what may have happened to the multimillionaire.

Hopes that a wrecked plane spotted on the side of a hill might be Fossett's were dashed quickly Friday when ground crews learned the plane last was registered more than three decades ago.

As the search for Fossett stretched into its fifth full day Saturday, weary rescuers were no closer to understanding where he was flying or where his small plane might have gone down.

Searchers tried to glean any positive news they could from the old crashes they discovered from an otherwise discouraging week.

"This does give us hope. We are finding a lot of stuff we didn't know was there," Civil Air Patrol Maj. Cynthia Ryan said.

Ryan said authorities had received hundreds of tips from the public since Fossett was reported missing Monday after taking off from a private airstrip owned by hotel mogul Barron Hilton 80 miles southeast of Reno.

Authorities were concentrating on four leads they considered credible that came from people who live in, or were visiting, a large area near the Nevada-California border where Fossett was believed to be flying.

Still, it's not much to go on for rescuers trying to search an area the size of Massachusetts that is crisscrossed with jagged mountain ranges, gullies and steep canyons.

"It's like you took a 500-piece puzzle and threw four pieces randomly out on the floor and tried to make sense of them," Ryan said. "It's a little hard to do."

The lack of any solid news about the 63-year-old aviator's fate is weighing heavily on his family, said Lyon County Undersheriff Joe Sanford.

He said he spoke Friday with Fossett's wife, Marilyn, and said she and other family members remained optimistic.

"Everyone here is hopeful. But I've got to tell you that the family is subdued and they're having a tough time with this," Sanford told reporters. "We're into numerous days. No one knows what happened or where he is."

Adding to the grim prospects was the revelation Friday that Fossett most likely had only one water bottle with him when he took off for what was expected to be a short flight in a single-engine plane. Authorities initially thought he had enough water to last two weeks.

Fossett was believed to have been scouting dry lake beds as possible locations for his latest thrill ride, an upcoming attempt to break the land speed record in a rocket-propelled car. He was reported missing by someone at the ranch at 1:43 p.m. Monday after he failed to return on schedule.

He did not file a flight plan, which is common for pilots of small planes heading out for quick flights.

Fossett, a former commodities trader who was the first to circle the globe solo in a balloon, is considered an expert pilot and survivalist.

About two dozen aircraft, including airplanes, helicopters and a C-130 cargo plane, flew grid patterns over the search area on Friday. Most were scheduled to return to the air Saturday morning.

Ryan said crews have a "pretty good handle" on at least half the search area.

Despite the absence of clues, searchers remain hopeful, knowing that Fossett has a history of getting out of tough jams. He has held 116 speed or distance records on land, air and water.

offroad_nomad

09-08-2007, 05:32 PM

I believe you might be referring to CAP's
Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance (http://atg.cap.gov/downloads/FINAL%20VERSION%20ARCHER%20Technical%20Fact%20Shee t.pdf) (ARCHER) System. We had CAP use it last year looking while looking for a missing 12 yo girl last seen on an ATV. They configured their system to look for metal objects (the size of her small ATV) in the forest. I was then tasked to lead the team to check the hits.

The name escapes me, but on NPR they were talking about a couple of planes equipted with some neat technology that were sent to help in the rescue. A sophisticated computer imaging device that could recognise shapes on the ground as well as colors. They input in the colors and a very general shape and start flying. It will find man made things that even mildly resemble that object. They can fly higher and cover much more ground than just looking out the windows. Sounded cool!!

kellymoe

09-08-2007, 09:44 PM

I posted this on another thread but this looks pretty cool.

www.findmespot.com

Desertoutpost

09-08-2007, 11:41 PM

I posted this on another thread but this looks pretty cool.

www.findmespot.com

Any idea on price?

kellymoe

09-09-2007, 12:38 AM

Any idea on price?

Let me get back to you. I think they emailed me a price but I also think it may be like having a cell phone where you pay a monthly service fee. I'll check.

kellymoe

09-09-2007, 12:41 AM

Rumor is $150 plus a unknown subscription fee.

adventureduo

09-09-2007, 05:59 PM

Still missing?

ntsqd

09-10-2007, 02:15 PM

Using Google Earth to try to find any wreckage:
http://www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=9TSZK4G35XEZJZG21T60&kw=Flash

Desertoutpost

09-10-2007, 02:23 PM

Using Google Earth to try to find any wreckage:
http://www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=9TSZK4G35XEZJZG21T60&kw=Flash

Is this legit? I thought Google Earth did not have current photo's due to Homeland Security issues, meaning the photos are "Aged" so critical information is not viewable? I would be a skeptic of this? If it is real please let me know.

cruiseroutfit

09-10-2007, 03:21 PM

Is anyone else amazed by the shear amount of plane wrecks in the area they are searching. They have been calling them "uncharted"... I suppose that means they never logged them into their "database" when the wrecks originally occured?

ntsqd

09-10-2007, 03:40 PM

Is this legit? I thought Google Earth did not have current photo's due to Homeland Security issues, meaning the photos are "Aged" so critical information is not viewable? I would be a skeptic of this? If it is real please let me know.
I've no idea if it's legit or not. Seems reasonable, but how effective it might be?

The thing I find amazing is this obviously experienced guy flys off w/o leaving behind any sort of general area to expect him to be in, or w/o an automatic EPIRB or similar. My first thot when venturing out alone is "Will they expect me to be in this area?" If the answer is no, then I re-think my plan.

Yea Kurt, I've been amazed by that too.

Desertoutpost

09-10-2007, 03:47 PM

I've no idea if it's legit or not. Seems reasonable, but how effective it might be?

The thing I find amazing is this obviously experienced guy flys off w/o leaving behind any sort of general area to expect him to be in, or w/o an automatic EPIRB or similar. My first thot when venturing out alone is "Will they expect me to be in this area?" If the answer is no, then I re-think my plan.

Yea Kurt, I've been amazed by that too.

I agree and have followed this thread and the thoughts....

These are mine...

Reason for leaving without plan and equipment~

1. Forgot (complacent)
2. Did not see need, (complacent)
3. Did not have them handy (lazy)
4. Assumed friends plane had them (complacent)
5. Planned on not coming back or being found (criminal in nature)
6. Had but equipment failed
7. Had but could not use

Did I miss anything? Which one I have no idea, just some of my thoughts?

SOAZ

09-10-2007, 03:56 PM

Is this legit? I thought Google Earth did not have current photo's due to Homeland Security issues, meaning the photos are "Aged" so critical information is not viewable? I would be a skeptic of this? If it is real please let me know.
What I read was that Richard Branson was working with Google to look at any of their recent sat photos to either see the plane in mid flight to get an idea of where it was headed or find smoe wreckage. I don't think they meant he was literally looking at google earth.

Dave

09-10-2007, 03:58 PM

Is this legit? I thought Google Earth did not have current photo's due to Homeland Security issues, meaning the photos are "Aged" so critical information is not viewable? I would be a skeptic of this? If it is real please let me know.

The article I read from the BBC said Google released updated images of the general area. Once Google released the images, Amazon set up the search scheme.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6987358.stm

Grim Reaper

09-10-2007, 04:00 PM

Is this legit? I thought Google Earth did not have current photo's due to Homeland Security issues, meaning the photos are "Aged" so critical information is not viewable? I would be a skeptic of this? If it is real please let me know.

They were reporting it on the news last night and directing people to AVWEB.com who had a story on it and link to Google earth.

Desertoutpost

09-10-2007, 04:07 PM

They were reporting it on the news last night and directing people to AVWEB.com who had a story on it and link to Google earth.

Cool then it must be legit, good deal!

adventureduo

09-10-2007, 06:16 PM

Wow, that is pretty damn cool we can all look for him. Amazing technology. You'd think he would have been found by now though. Too strange.

Mike S

09-11-2007, 11:42 PM

Off topic a bit, but i like airplanes, and always though a Grumman Widgeon would be nice...

ntsqd

09-11-2007, 11:59 PM

To put a little perspective on this for other non-flyer types out there, "Citabria" is "Airbatic" spelled backwards. It wasn't an accidental naming of that model of aircraft. I only know this b/c an old friend is a propellor head.

Streakerfreak

09-12-2007, 03:31 AM

I wonder if we have ourselves a modern day Amelia Earhart here. This is getting a little strange.

ntsqd

09-12-2007, 02:13 PM

8 days. I feel at this point we are talking recovery rather than rescue.

If anything, this drives home that even with all of current locational technology it's still possible to get yourself to someplace in the US where you can't be found.

BigAl

09-12-2007, 02:38 PM

I wonder if we have ourselves a modern day Amelia Earhart here. This is getting a little strange.

Exactly what I was thinking.:)

Hltoppr

09-12-2007, 03:22 PM

Last plane crash I was at I had a hard time finding it with a helicopter hovering over the wreck, until I was about 20 yards from the scene, it was covered in brush, trees, etc.....and that was a bright white Cessna twin!

It's a lot of ground to cover for what doesn't really leave a lot of easily identifiable wreckage if it hits the ground hard....

-H-

kcowyo

09-12-2007, 03:25 PM

8 days. I feel at this point we are talking recovery rather than rescue...
:iagree:

It would be a real shame if the publicity loving Fossett walks out in a week like some amatuer Survivorman. Although he could surely foot the SAR bill if this was some kind of hoax.

SOAZ

09-12-2007, 10:20 PM

Searchers looking for missing aviator Steve Fossett received a telephone tip from a former Nevada Civil Air Patrol member whose friend reported to him that he saw a blue and white aircraft making a steep diving turn into a canyon and not climbing back out.

A Blackhawk is on its way to Sunrise Pass, 20 miles east of Minden, following the lead. Washoe County authorities also are sending ground patrols to search the area.

The Blackhawk is expected to arrive any minute to the scene, with a medic on board who will be lowered if a wreckage is found, said Capt. April Conway of the Nevada National Guard. Then, the helicopter crew can identify a tail number and report back immediately.

“If it is indeed the target we’ve been looking for, everybody and their brother will converge out there,” Conway said.

For developing story, check RGJ.com

adventureduo

09-17-2007, 03:43 PM

Still missing? Be a miracle if the guy is still alive.. it's been a long time now.. unless hes like hanging out at someones cabin or something. . .

overlander

09-18-2007, 07:00 PM

Off topic a bit, but i like airplanes, and always though a Grumman Widgeon would be nice...

Mike, you're my kind a people. I'm a student pilot aspiring to get my sea plane rating. Grumman Goose has always been a dream, but I'd settle for a Widgeon easy.

Card carrying member of SPA.

bovw

09-19-2007, 01:05 AM

Any of the Grumman's are cool. A little bigger, but the Mallard and Albatross rank up there. Chalk's uses the Mallard, and Buffett used to fly an Albatross.

overlander

09-19-2007, 02:53 AM

Any of the Grumman's are cool. A little bigger, but the Mallard and Albatross rank up there. Chalk's uses the Mallard, and Buffett used to fly an Albatross.

Buffet also crashed a widgeon.

kcowyo

09-20-2007, 07:06 PM

The latest - (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070919/ts_nm/fossett_dc)

"Rescuers called off their active air search for Steve Fossett on Wednesday, but insisted they had not given up hope and would keep crews on standby to fly to sites where the U.S. adventurer's airplane may have crashed.

Chuck Allen of the Nevada Department of Public Safety told Reuters that authorities continue to consider the hunt for Fossett a "search and rescue" mission, and that they are hopeful he is alive, but that the hunt would be scaled back."

adventureduo

09-21-2007, 04:04 PM

Dang. That sucks.

bigreen505

09-27-2007, 09:53 PM

Death Valley (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4Tt3Ok0yMNfSsatpddlmScxyEiQ)

Fossett Search Turns to Death Valley

By BRENDAN RILEY – 1 day ago

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Relying on new leads from Air Force experts, crews looking for famed aviator Steve Fossett plan to comb a rugged area near Death Valley by air and foot, authorities said.

Gary Derks, the state Department of Public Safety official in charge of the search, said Tuesday that the Air Force analyzed images picked up by radar and satellite and "picked up what could be Mr. Fossett, his track."

"It gives us an idea, if it's him, what direction he was going," Derks said of the wealthy adventurer, missing for more than three weeks...

adventureduo

09-27-2007, 10:05 PM

What the heck? DV now?

kcowyo

09-27-2007, 10:29 PM

Surviving a plane crash and walking out of the desert under his own power would really add to his adventuresume.....

Sorry to be cynical. I can almost buy the fact that we can't find Bin Laden in the hills & caves of Afghanistan, but we can't find some gajillionare in Nevada? Call me skeptical....

Willman

09-27-2007, 10:31 PM

They find the guy yet?

:costumed-smiley-007

Hltoppr

09-28-2007, 03:38 PM

Sorry to be cynical. I can almost buy the fact that we can't find Bin Laden in the hills & caves of Afghanistan, but we can't find some gajillionare in Nevada? Call me skeptical....

Trust me...it's a lot harder than it sounds....

-H-

kcowyo

09-28-2007, 04:12 PM

Well you know me. I couldn't find my way to a group campsite on a clearly marked trail without your help.....:oops:

RedDog

09-29-2007, 10:27 AM

Sorry to be cynical. I can almost buy the fact that we can't find Bin Laden in the hills & caves of Afghanistan, but we can't find some gajillionare in Nevada? Call me skeptical....

The filthy puke bin Laden, and his family in Saudi Arabia carry more "walking around" money than Steve Fossett ever dreamed of in his life.

Ironically, bin Laden is probably still alive and Fossett probably isn't, although a co-worker suggests the later's greatest adventure would be to orchestrate his own "disappearance".

kcowyo

10-03-2007, 03:25 PM

The latest - Fossett search called off (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3681558&page=1)

The U.S. Air Force has officially ended the Civil Air Patrol's search for explorer Steve Fossett, more than three weeks after he went missing during a single-engine plane flight, the Civil Air Patrol said.
"We consider it suspended," the patrol's acting national commander, Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter, told ABCNews.com on Wednesday. "If new leads come in, we would consider additional [action] -- whether it's interviewing or flying -- to support it."

grouch

10-03-2007, 03:54 PM

although a co-worker suggests the later's greatest adventure would be to orchestrate his own "disappearance".

I hate to speculate but that would be a great story in the fashion of Emilia Erhart or Howard Hughes. My hope is that he is pulling a great shenanigan on us all just to lighten things up a little. Maybe he just couldn't bear the two years worth of election coverage for no discernable outcome. God speed Mr. Fossett.

calamaridog

10-03-2007, 06:03 PM

My hope is that he is pulling a great shenanigan on us all just to lighten things up a little.

Uh, yea. If this is a joke, he would need a swift kick in the balls.

goodtimes

10-03-2007, 06:27 PM

Maybe he just couldn't bear the two years worth of election coverage for no discernable outcome.

If there was ever a reason to disappear, that would be it. Unfortunately, I doubt this is the case.

adventureduo

10-08-2007, 04:29 PM

From another board when i asked, "why not bonneville?"

"Spoke with some racers in Tonopah over the weekend that were just returning from Boneville Salt Flats. They told me Steve F. was looking for another dry lake that was longer. His car, the old Breedlove Boneville race car, is now retrofitted with much larger twin et engines> It is owned by Branson (Virgin),& needs more room to beat the world's record.

So that answers the question of "Why was he not going to Boneville?", and why he was scouting locations in NV near Silver Peak."

Jeep

10-19-2007, 04:05 AM

Any news on Steve?

cowboy4x4

11-28-2007, 03:34 AM

also if it were a joke he will have one heck of bill to pay for all the man power that went out looking

paulj

11-28-2007, 04:22 AM

There was an item in the paper today about his wife seeking to have Steve declared dead, so as to settle the estate.
paulj

Streakerfreak

11-28-2007, 04:33 AM

There was an item in the paper today about his wife seeking to have Steve declared dead, so as to settle the estate.
paulj

Saw that today too. I was wondering what was going on. It has been far too long.

adventureduo

11-28-2007, 04:44 PM

Dang. Crazy.

Willman

11-30-2007, 01:54 AM

Sad!

:(

Andrew Walcker

11-30-2007, 01:58 AM

Man, that blows...

Overland Hadley

11-30-2007, 02:09 AM

sad

Fifthpro

01-21-2008, 12:09 AM

I cannot believe that they cannot find anything.......sad

teotwaki

01-21-2008, 12:37 AM

The plane that he flew had wooden wing spars and fabric covering on the wings and tail. If the plane crashed hard and burned there would be little left to easily recognize from the air.

Fifthpro

01-21-2008, 01:17 AM

The plane that he flew had wooden wing spars and fabric covering on the wings and tail. If the plane crashed hard and burned there would be little left to easily recognize from the air.

I did not know those details...thanks. It is still sad for the family, at least with a body there is some closure.

Wanderlusty

02-16-2008, 03:58 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080216/ap_on_re_us/obit_fossett

The court has declared Steve Fosset dead.

One wonders if him/his remains will ever be found, or will he enter into legend a la Amelia Earhart, etc....

Grim Reaper

02-16-2008, 01:43 PM

I guess going out in a mystery like that will complete him as a legend. Hope it was quick. :(

So when is the Expo forums "find Steve and bring him home" trips going to start?

adventureduo

02-17-2008, 02:22 AM

That sucks.

Yeah, we need to set the geocaching dudes after him, they'll find em.

calamaridog

02-19-2008, 09:00 AM

So when is the Expo forums "find Steve and bring him home" trips going to start?

Just for the record, I haven't found him yet;)

A bit of trivia about the late Steve Fosset. He was an Eagle Scout and the President of the National Eagle Scout Association:

http://www.scouting.org/media/fossett/tribute/index.html

calamaridog

06-12-2008, 03:17 AM

Snow gone, rugged Nevada search for Fossett resuming By BRENDAN RILEY, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jun 11, 2:56 PM ET

The hunt for multimillionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who vanished in September after taking off by plane from a remote Nevada ranch, is resuming now that snow has melted in rugged mountains where he may have crashed.

The search won't match last year's, which covered about 20,000 square miles and involved a small air force of private and military planes, along with ground searchers and high-tech equipment. This time, two teams of volunteers will hike through a smaller area where the 63-year-old Fossett was last seen.

Previous searchers are providing maps and other detailed information on the harsh landscape the new teams plan to cover.

"The more people we have, the more eyes and boots on the ground we have, the better our chances are of locating Mr. Fossett," said Gary Derks of the Nevada Department of Public Safety, who oversaw the 2007 hunt. "I wish them a lot of luck."

One team will be headed by Simon Donato, a Canadian geologist whose avocation is adventure racing through wilderness areas around the world. In late July, he'll bring as many as 10 other backcountry athletes, several with search-and-rescue expertise, to hike through a rugged area on the east slope of the Sierra where Fossett could have gone down.

"It's going to be getting into those hard-to-reach areas and basically crossing them off the map," Donato said. "The best-case scenario is that we find him. The worst-case scenario — we're making it easier for people in the future to continue this."

Fossett, declared legally dead Feb. 15 by a judge in Illinois, "was a hero to so many people," Donato said. "He had a huge following. People loved him. They love adventure, and he was pushing the boundaries. Somebody like that just deserves to be found."

In late August, Robert Hyman, a Washington, D.C., investor and alpinist, plans to bring in a team of up to 15 climbers, mountain guides and others with backcountry expertise to check an area just east of where Donato will search.

Hyman said he will focus in and around the Wassuk Range, dominated by 11,239-foot-high Mount Grant. When Fossett took off Sept. 3 in a borrowed plane on what was supposed to be a short pleasure flight, he headed toward Lucky Boy Pass in the Wassuks.

"He's obviously in an area that you just can't see from overhead, even with satellite imagery and high-altitude mapping and infrared and everything else," Hyman said.

Fossett's widow, Peggy, issued a statement that said that an analysis of high-tech mapping photography done in late 2007 was completed with no results. She's not involved in the upcoming activity and has "no further plans for additional searching," she said.

Fossett, an expert pilot, took off Sept. 3 from the rugged Flying M Ranch of his friend, hotel magnate Barron Hilton, about 80 miles southeast of Reno.

The land around Hilton's ranch is so rugged that for some a continued search may seem hopeless. While there are plenty of bare areas that seem to typify Nevada, there also are broad swaths of pine, juniper and aspen trees that could easily hide a plane.

It has on occasion taken decades to find missing people and planes crashed in the area on the Nevada-California line.

"Don't give up hope. We waited 60 years or more," said Jeanne Pyle, who in mid-May was finally able to bury her brother, Ernest Munn, a World War II airman whose trainer plane disappeared in 1942 in the high Sierra about 100 miles from Hilton's ranch.

Backpackers told rangers last August they found an ice-entombed body on 13,710-foot Mount Mendel. In March, the Defense Department said forensic experts determined it was Munn, the long-missing brother of Pyle and her two sisters. He was the second of four airmen aboard the missing plane to be identified.

"We often wondered if they would ever find him," said Pyle, 87. "Who would have ever thought about ice preserving him. It's just been a miracle."

cruiseroutfit

06-12-2008, 02:34 PM

Glad to hear there is a renewed effort in the search. I wish them the best of luck!

MoGas

07-14-2008, 04:27 AM

Looks like the search will be back on. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080713/ap_on_re_us/fossett_search

adventureduo

07-15-2008, 03:49 PM

I hope they find him hanging out in some abandoned cabin somewhere drinking hot cocoa. Glad they're starting a search again.

kcowyo

07-21-2008, 06:49 PM

Aaaaand it's over again..... (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FOSSETT_SEARCH?SITE=WIKEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=ap_content_popup.html)

teotwaki

07-22-2008, 07:20 PM

Aaaaand it's over again..... (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FOSSETT_SEARCH?SITE=WIKEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=ap_content_popup.html)

Thanks for posting the updates. It is an interesting topic but I have not always been good on following it closely. Maybe we should find an "under- searched" grid and plan an Expo Event for a search? :)

weezerbot

07-22-2008, 09:30 PM

Thanks for posting the updates. It is an interesting topic but I have not always been good on following it closely. Maybe we should find an "under- searched" grid and plan an Expo Event for a search? :)

Now THAT sounds like an adventure! Maybe thats what the Expo Trophy should be this year! :safari-rig:

HMR

07-31-2008, 04:24 AM

Adventurer Steve Fossett 'may have faked his own death'
Round-the-world flying adventurer Steve Fossett may have faked his own death, investigators have claimed.

Fossett, a friend of Virgin boss Richard Branson, and the first man to fly non-stop round the earth in a hot air balloon, went missing last September when his final flight in a light plane over the Nevada desert went missing.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Cynthia Ryan of the US Civil Air Patrol has said Fossett, whose body or plane was never found, could still be alive.

She said: "I've been doing this search and rescue for 14 years. Fossett should have been found.

"It's not like we didn't have our eyes open. We found six other planes while we were looking for him. We're pretty good at what we do."

Fossett's disappearance sparked the biggest search in American history, with the Civil Air Patrol's Black Hawks, fitted with infra-red technology, joined by over 30 private planes and internet experts scanning the Nevada desert looking for clues.

Lt Col Ryan believes Fossett may have faked his own death due to personal problems or fears about his business dealings.

There are also a number of anomalies that question whether Fossett's plane ever crashed.

Only one witness, a pilot at hotel magnate Barron Hilton's flying ranch near Reno, claims to have seen him take off that day.

That witness claims Fossett asked him to prepare the plane for take off, even though he had never allowed anyone else to do this before.

Fossett also apparently claimed he was going to scout for locations for a land speed record attempt, but he supposedly took off with no emergency equipment.

The choice of plane was also a baffling one - a Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, which, according to risk assessor Robert Davis said was constructed from a steel and wood frame, but actually covered in fabric, making it easy to dismantle.

Davis conducted an eight-month investigation for insurers Lloyd's of London, said to face a £25 million payout on Fossett's death.

He said: "What I've strived to find out is what happened to this man in the run-up to his disappearance, why did he disappear?

"I spoke to reporters who were on the scene, people who were helping out with the search efforts, anyone whom I thought could shed some light on this.

"I discovered that there is absolutely no proof that Steve Fossett is actually dead. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I'm a man who deals in facts, and I don't really care if he is alive or dead, it make no difference to me.

"What I am interested in is the truth - and a proper criminal investigation of this man's disappearance was never undertaken by law enforcement or officials in the state of Nevada.

Link (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2462912/Adventurer-Steve-Fossett-%27may-have-faked-his-own-death%27.html)

Spikepretorius

07-31-2008, 05:13 AM

I was kinda suspecting this from day one actually.
Mmmmm. Has Hollywood started filming yet?

azarmadillo

08-04-2008, 02:39 AM

I hope they find him hanging out in some abandoned cabin somewhere drinking hot cocoa. Glad they're starting a search again.

Searchers will walk up to him at said cabin, "Mr. Fossett, I presume!"

97 zj steve

08-04-2008, 11:47 AM

that would be some crazy stuff if years down the road he just pops back up saying he faked it all

TheRoadie

08-04-2008, 12:46 PM

I don't believe he'd ever just go missing on purpose. With his money, he'd be missing out some great adventures like riding to the ISS and the Branson/Rutan suborbital hops.

calamaridog

08-04-2008, 01:13 PM

The State of Nevada asked Fossett's widow to reimburse them for a portion of the search expenses and she told them to pound sand.

zimm

08-05-2008, 03:43 AM

I don't believe he'd ever just go missing on purpose. With his money, he'd be missing out some great adventures like riding to the ISS and the Branson/Rutan suborbital hops.

maybe starting over is the only adventure left for him. the only adversity money cant overcome.

zimm

08-05-2008, 03:44 AM

btw. hes friggin dead, and spending a dime on a dead guy is dumb.

Ursidae69

08-05-2008, 03:48 AM

btw. hes friggin dead, and spending a dime on a dead guy is dumb.

Wow you are on a roll tonigh Zimm, What's wrong, gas prices got you in a funk, a little under the weather, bad day? Lighten up, the man Fossett is a legend, going the extra mile to find out what happened is the right thing to do. :beer:

Overland Hadley

08-05-2008, 05:17 PM

...the man Fossett is a legend, going the extra mile to find out what happened is the right thing to do. :beer:

He is a legend, yes he had lots of money, but he did some amazing things in his life. It is everybody's loss that he is gone, the world needs more people like him.

I think that if his Super Decathlon crashed into an area of large rocks, and burned, you would have to walk right over the small pile of metal bits that would be left to find it. (remember, a fair amount of the plane was made of wood and fabric.)

XJxplorer

08-05-2008, 11:04 PM

He's probably on some tropical island sitting on the beach drinking a martini right now!

97 zj steve

08-05-2008, 11:40 PM

He's probably on some tropical island sitting on the beach drinking a martini right now!

livin the life :friday:

weezerbot

08-06-2008, 12:23 AM

Thats what I'd be doing if I were him!! :beer:

MoGas

08-06-2008, 01:04 AM

Wanderlusty

08-06-2008, 01:57 AM

I'm sure he is dead. I think that if the state of Nevada put more effort into the search for Steve than they would have for one of us ordinary people, because of his celerbity, that is thier own fault and she should not have to pay them back for the extra effort. On the other foot, if she used pressure and influence to get the extra search effort, she should pay.

Anyway, he's dead, pilot error or mechanical failure, we may never know.

I tend to agree with you about his fate. However, this seems destined to go the way of D. B. Cooper and Amelia Earhart unless they find him. Expect to hear a thousand theories about this for the rest of your life unless they do find him.

Best4x4xfar

10-01-2008, 05:22 PM

Latest News...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431307,00.html

weezerbot

10-01-2008, 05:51 PM

Ah ha! :archaeolo

TheRoadie

10-01-2008, 06:05 PM

Road Trip!

MaddBaggins

10-01-2008, 07:08 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/01/fossett.discovery/index.html

Another article.

Trail Monkey

10-01-2008, 08:38 PM

my brother recently purchased one of Steve's gliders. 80 foot wing span and self powered. Very Very cool.. Steve had alot of nice toys..

JJackson

10-02-2008, 12:33 AM

Just seen that on the news.

adventureduo

10-02-2008, 01:49 AM

Good. Hopefully they'll find him. Dead or alive, at least they'll find him. Glad the guy stumbled upon the ID and cash.

Scenic WonderRunner

10-02-2008, 05:42 AM

Oh Shoot!

............now I want a self propelled Glider......... with an 80 foot wing span!

(now just where is my self propelled glider smiley when I need him>?!!!!!)

.

kcowyo

10-02-2008, 06:00 AM

Possible wreckage spotted? (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfmXbQn-RFLHSjd8_s23ytiM6OVAD93I5P5O0)

.

weezerbot

10-02-2008, 06:49 AM

Yes, the plot thickens!

Best4x4xfar

10-02-2008, 01:08 PM

They think they may have located wreckage of the plane about 1 Kilometer from where the papers were found, supposedly going back today..

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431605,00.html

FlyNdrive

10-02-2008, 01:19 PM

Stolen from Associated Press (http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4907G820081002)

Rescue crews find wreckage of Fossett's plane

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rescue crews have found the wreckage of a small plane in eastern California mountains that appears to be the one piloted by millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday.

The NTSB said the small airplane found on Wednesday "appears to be the aircraft piloted by Steve Fossett."

The safety board did not say anything in a statement about finding any remains of Fossett's body.

Fossett, 63, vanished in his single-engine Bellanca airplane after taking off from a private airstrip in Nevada in September 2007.

The wreckage was located about 10,000 feet up the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, California. The NTSB said it has sent an investigator to the accident site.

The fact that safety board officials were dispatched to the scene and would comment publicly on the plane indicates a strong likelihood that it was Fossett's.

Despite weeks of extensive land and air searches after Fossett disappeared, no wreckage was found, and he was declared legally dead in February after investigators concluded that his airplane was destroyed in a fatal accident.

But a hiker in a remote area of California this week found two of his aviation identification cards.

The cards and a sweatshirt were found in a remote part of Madera County in the eastern Sierras between Yosemite National Park and the Nevada border.
Police in California said on Wednesday that more than 30 search teams were being formed to comb the mountainous area for the wreckage in coming days ahead of a potential snowfall.

(Reporting by John Crawley, writing by Deborah Charles, editing by Philip Barbara)

imagodave

10-02-2008, 03:31 PM

Wow...they found the wreckage, with the engine 100' away, but no remains of him.....

SLOwag

10-02-2008, 03:49 PM

...a little more detail on the search area for those of you who know the back country in that area.

http://www.mammothtimes.com/content/view/94652/1/

James86004

10-02-2008, 04:42 PM

We took a class in Wilderness First Aid, and it was taught by a Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue guy. He said plane crashes can be so hard to find, and if it is a hard crash (like they were lost in the fog and slammed into the mountainside), the biggest pieces left are typically the size of a potato chip. If there was a lot of fuel on board, there was a lot of fire.

He told us because of Steve Fossett, large portions of Nevada are mapped much better than they were.

adventureduo

10-02-2008, 04:58 PM

It's confirmed, they have found the plane wreckage.

HanzoSteel

10-02-2008, 05:40 PM

Was very lucky to have found anything, year gone by or a forest fire and it probably woulda all been gone.

Best4x4xfar

10-02-2008, 06:03 PM

It's confirmed, they have found the plane wreckage.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/02/steve.fossett.search/index.html

BIGdaddy

10-02-2008, 06:40 PM

what a trip.

Now, where was the original place they were looking? wasn't it in the desert?

is the mammoth lakes area near there? Seems like the wreckage pretty far from a place to hold his land speed record attempt...and it seems very unlikely that someone would "come across" his belongings...weird.

I think he may have said that(that he was going to the desert), steered off course, jumped from the plane once he set the controls somehow, sending the plane into the mountain while he was floating down on his parachute.

thats my call, for whatever reason. Shock value, Debt avoidance, etc.

I'll bet the searchers feel pretty good knowing that if the wreckage had been in the area they had searched in, they probably would have found it.

Terracoma

10-02-2008, 07:04 PM

Purple People Eater

10-02-2008, 07:10 PM

durango_60

10-02-2008, 07:10 PM

Question:

If the money is indeed Fossett's, why would he carry so much cash with him if he were only going on a scouting trip out-and-back from the same airport?

$1,005 (or whatever the actual amount is) seems like a lot of carry cash......

This is Steve Fosset we are talking about, that's just a little walking around money...

ntsqd

10-02-2008, 07:16 PM

Question:

If the money is indeed Fossett's, why would he carry so much cash with him if he were only going on a scouting trip out-and-back from the same airport?

$1,005 (or whatever the actual amount is) seems like a lot of carry cash......
It might to you and I, but I once worked for a fellow who, along with his brother, inherited a major aluminum sheet metal supplier during WWII. His normal walking around money was $1000-$1500. That was pocket change to him. I don't see anything unusual in this. Prior to meeting this fellow I might have, bit not now.

adventureduo

10-02-2008, 07:24 PM

Yep, my gramps walks around with hundo's like that too.

Christian P.

10-02-2008, 07:32 PM

paulj

10-02-2008, 09:01 PM

...Why wasn't the wallet in the plane?

The suspense continues...

My guess is that he had the wallet in pocket. In one way or another his body was separated from the crash, dismembered by animals, and any clothing and contents distributed around the area.

BIGdaddy

10-02-2008, 09:48 PM

My guess is that he had the wallet in pocket. In one way or another his body was separated from the crash, dismembered by animals, and any clothing and contents distributed around the area.

now, they didn't say (or didn't read) that the sweater was torn apart or bloodstained, did they?

I wonder if he discarded his sweater once he walked out of a certain elevation/terrain to keep weight down?

you can tell i fully believe he's alive, can't you!?...lol.

Streakerfreak

10-02-2008, 11:37 PM

FlyNdrive

10-02-2008, 11:40 PM

now, they didn't say (or didn't read) that the sweater was torn apart or bloodstained, did they?

I wonder if he discarded his sweater once he walked out of a certain elevation/terrain to keep weight down?

you can tell i fully believe he's alive, can't you!?...lol.

BBC is reporting that there was human and animal hair on the sweatshirt. They had an expert that said that there was a high probability that animals may have separated the body from the wreckage. I saw pictures of the wreckage and IMO there is no way any pilot would of survived. The engine was over 100 ft from the wreckage.

-Ben

Streakerfreak

10-02-2008, 11:40 PM

Looks like they found some remains.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/fossett_search

FlyNdrive

10-02-2008, 11:42 PM

Stolen From Assosiated Press (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfmXbQn-RFLHSjd8_s23ytiM6OVAD93IL6H80)

NTSB: Remains found at Steve Fossett wreckage site
51 minutes ago

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) — Federal investigators say they have found body parts amid the wreckage of a missing adventurer's airplane in the mountains of eastern California.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that searchers found enough at the crash site of Steve Fossett's plane to provide coroners with DNA.

National Transportation Safety Board acting Chairman Mark Rosenker won't say exactly what searchers found. But he says it was not surprising how little they uncovered, considering how long it had been since the crash.

Fossett was 63 when he vanished a little more than a year ago.

BIGdaddy

10-03-2008, 02:35 AM

BBC is reporting that there was human and animal hair on the sweatshirt. They had an expert that said that there was a high probability that animals may have separated the body from the wreckage. I saw pictures of the wreckage and IMO there is no way any pilot would of survived. The engine was over 100 ft from the wreckage.

-Ben

i see the posts above where it says remains were found, so i might be a moot point, but what i was hypothesizing was that he exited the plane via parachute before the crash, not that he simply absorbed the trauma of impact and walked away.

just to clarify.

though there was the story of the WWII pilot who fell/jumped from his stricken/inverted plane. His wingmen saw him fall and said prayers for him. lo and behold that joker landed in a snow drift and walked to a army base.

paulj

10-03-2008, 03:20 AM

One of the news reports mentions thunderstorms in the mountains that day. So he could have been caught in the turbulance or down draft from such a storm. Or it could have been the classic case of flying into a cloud with rocks in it. No time to bailout in such case.

BIGdaddy

10-03-2008, 04:37 AM

Clark White

10-03-2008, 05:16 AM

They found the wreckage of his plane, but no sign of the man himself...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iWRuwj4QFtWLCCV11eYiXu7k7cmA

Spikepretorius

10-03-2008, 06:03 AM

Clark White

10-03-2008, 08:02 AM

Yeah animals will spread the remains around.
I don't know what animals you have lurking in the States but here there was an incident where a head was discovered 20km away from the body across a mountain range. Baboons apparently.

HA! Well we don't have baboons, but we have plenty of other animals that do the same things. From the sounds of it, I'll be surprised if they ever find remains.

Grim Reaper

10-03-2008, 04:05 PM

I'm kind of sad it was was found at all. It would have been legend for years to come if his wreckage wasn't found for 10 years or more. The only thing that would have topped it is if he came hiking out on his own.

jgolden

10-07-2008, 05:13 AM

ntsqd

10-07-2008, 02:24 PM

CoastalDefender

10-13-2008, 01:24 AM

D.B. Cooper.
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!! :violent-smiley-031:

XJxplorer

10-21-2008, 05:58 AM

anyone know the results from the DNA testing??

Wanderlusty

10-31-2008, 02:33 AM

Large human bones, Fosset's tennis shoes, and his drivers license found near wreckage:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081031/ap_on_re_us/fossett_search

HanzoSteel

11-01-2008, 03:34 AM

D.B. Cooper.

What ever came up with that parachute they found?

Wanderlusty

11-03-2008, 11:35 PM

DNA confirms bones are Fosset's:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081103/ap_on_re_us/fossett_search#full

No D.B. Cooper here....

Overland Hadley

11-06-2008, 01:28 PM

A great loss, that guy was amazing.

jeepmedic46

12-08-2008, 07:18 PM

A very great loss. He was indeed a incredible man. He will be greatly missed.

SinCityFJC

12-08-2008, 07:35 PM

My old ham radio club did a presentation on the private search for Fosset.

Done by friend & former coworker Bill Talanian & Mark McKibben

http://147.202.66.210/~sbarc/SteveFossett/SteveFossett_files/frame.htm