Aviator's Fate Puzzles Search Crews

The Associated Press ^ | September 8, 2007 | TOM GARDNER

[BlessedBeGod]

MINDEN, Nev. (AP) — 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...

[BlessedBeGod]

The article continues at the link above.

More prayers for Mr. Fosseett.

[Taking Congress back in 2010]

I blame Hillary.

[Bender2]

Is there any possibility Steve Fossett... is trying to top Amelia Earhart's record of 100 year missing?

Okay... flame away!

[So Cal Rocket]

Has anyone looked for him in Galt’s Gulch?

[ARE SOLE]

Steve Fossett was the man. I’m still hoping for him but I know his chances are very small at this point. Still that old lady was just found after being lost for 2 weeks.

He was a pilots pilot so if he did'nt burn in hard and instead suffered a mechanical failure he might have made it down in one piece.

He was flying a Citabria, which is “Airbatic” spelled backwards. A slow landing, very maneuverable, high winged taildragger.

Regards

[Wil H]

Has anyone looked for him in Galt’s Gulch?

Have they checked the Chicken Ranch?

[Aeronaut]

[Thebaddog]

How far away is Lake Tahoe from where he took off

[4yearlurker]

Isn’t this the same area where they recently found a WWII plane and crew that had been missing since the mid 1940’s?

[bert]

did it have auto pilot?

Me thinks he had it on auto pilot and expired. The plane would fly on the set heading till out of gas.

[plain talk]

they may not ever find him

[VOA]

In their quest to find missing aviator Steve Fossett, searchers have
come across uncharted plane crashes six times.

Sort of similar to the "other bodies" occassionaly that will
be found when the authorities are searching an area (lake, river,
wildlife area) for a missing person.

I hope Fossett is found, safe, happy and maybe just a little hungry.

But I do wonder what's the story, or if there's any story,
about those six other crash sites.

[mad_as_he$$]

Winner of the obscure reference post of the day!!!!

[mad_as_he$$]

25 miles but there are hundreds of people at the Lake this time of year and no witnesses. Also, he had no reason to go there for his stated mission. No dry lake beds.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Depending on the age of the aircraft, the Citabria was built mostly out of wood and fabric. If the plane crashed and burned there most likely won’t be much left to find.

[So Cal Rocket]

Hehehe... if you think about it, Fossett is exactly the type of person who would have ended up in Galt’s Gulch.

[ARE SOLE]

did it have auto pilot?

I would doubt that but I do not know for sure. It is a tandem seat, lightweight aerobatic plane and I wouldn't expect an autopilot.

Just the same if he died at the controls he would just crash closer the where he took off than if he had an autopilot, right?

I heard this am. that the searchers had discovered six previously unkown airplane crash sites while looking for Fossett.

Regards

[Thebaddog]

Understood, but that is logical thinking. I’m supposing that he will be found in an illogical spot as in not where he was supposed to be going.

[tennmountainman]

“He was a pilots pilot”

He was such a pilot’s pilot that he didn’t even bother to file a flight plan.

How ironic that a man who has broken numerous flight records, a self-made billionaire may never be found, because he didn’t file a flight plan. As a result, no one has a clue where to look for him.

Ironic and sad.

[Inyo-Mono]

Isn’t this the same area where they recently found a WWII plane and crew that had been missing since the mid 1940’s?

No. The WWII plane crash is in a glacier in the High Sierra just west of Big Pine, Calif. This area is near Topaz Lake on the California/Nevada border about 130 miles north of the WWII plane crash (same mountain range though).