Skeletal remains, personal items found near wreckage of Fossett's plane

Los Angeles Times ^ | October 30, 2008 | Jennifer Oldham

[Lorianne]

Madera County officials announced Thursday that searchers found bones, a pair of tennis shoes, credit cards and Steve Fossett's Illinois state driver's license about half a mile east of a rugged spot where the millionaire's plane was discovered earlier this fall.

The skeletal remains, which are believed to be human, were sent to a state crime lab in Richmond, Calif., for DNA testing, said Madera County Sheriff John Anderson. Officials hope to receive the results by early next week.

[webschooner]

so maybe the dewd really isn’t sipping pina coloda’s on a distant beach somewhere, as some had speculated.

[Lorianne]

Sounds like he might have survived the initial crash and tried to walk out.

[Think free or die]

I’d suspect animal activity rather than walking out.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Lesson to all private pilots.

Flying over sparsely populated terrain?

File a flight plan!

[Dead Dog]

Lesson to all private pilots. Flying over sparsely populated terrain? File a flight plan!

Flight plan wouldn't have saved him. However, flying OVER the terrain would have helped :)

[poindexter]

However, flying OVER the terrain would have helped :)

Old saying: Stay in the middle of the sky and away from the edges.

[Names Ash Housewares]

“Flight plan wouldn’t have saved him. However, flying OVER the terrain would have helped :) “

Not this time would it have saved the pilot.
But it could for others. And it would have brought solace to the family sooner.

But importantly....

Think of all the people out there searching for him for weeks over that same dangerous terrain.

There was risk in the rescue efforts.

[freepersup]

Lorianne,

Not much of a chance at all for a person to survive an extremely violent crash/impact, as in the type that Steve Fossett was involved in... hungry animals likely ate his remains.

The Mineret Mountains, where a hiker found the plane wreckage of adventurer Steve Fossett, is seen near Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Friday, Oct. 3, 2008. The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the wreckage of Fossett's plane, which was discovered by a hiker, Monday, and will assemble it later to try to find the cause of the crash. (AP Photo/Spencer Weiner, Pool)

This Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 picture provided by the Madera County Sheriff's Department shows wreckage from the fuselage from Steve Fossett's plane near Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Searchers have found what appear to be two large human bones near the crash site of Fossett's plane in California's Sierra Nevada, along with the adventurer's tennis shoes and driver's license, authorities said Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Madera County Sheriff's Department)

This Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 picture provided by the Madera County Sheriff's Department shows wreckage of the motor from Steve Fossett's plane near Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Searchers have found what appear to be two large human bones near the crash site of Fossett's plane in California's Sierra Nevada, along with the adventurer's tennis shoes and driver's license, authorities said Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Madera County Sheriff's Department)

[Fichori]

If I ever learn to fly and for some reason I went and found me some granite clouds, I wouldn’t want people to waste time and money and possibly risk their lives looking for some bits of bone and aluminum.

But, thats just me...

[Fichori]

Yep, thats what happens when you buzz a mountain top.

Looks like he was going pretty fast.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

This Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 picture provided by the Madera County Sheriff's Department shows wreckage from the fuselage from Steve Fossett's plane near Mammoth Lakes

Wing.

If you look closely you can see the aluminum spars passing through the perforations in the aluminum ribs. The fuselage on this aircraft is welded steel tubing.

[tcrlaf]

OFFICIAL FAA DESCRIPTION:

“Unscheduled Landing resulting in collision with terrain.”

I KID YOU NOT!

[freepersup]

Another perspective of the landing/crash site.

Photo provided by the Mono County Sheriff's Department shows a rescue workers (sic) inspecting the mountain where Steve Fossett's small plane crashed in 2007. US investigators in California looking into the disappearance of millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett have found bones and other personal items near to where his mangled plane was discovered. (AFP/Mono County/File/Ho)

[freepersup]

You’re right! An excellent catch.

I highlighted the words fuselage and motor to help differentiate between the two paragraphs, as they have similar text, never giving a second thought to the “fuselage” image. One can see the spars quite easily, as you’ve pointed out, as well as the individual ribs with their lightening holes, albeit grossly deformed by the impact. Likewise, a welded steel tube fuselage doesn’t look anything like what’s represented in the image.

A hat tip to you Ol’ Dan Tucker.

I debated with myself on whether or not to comment on the use of the term motor (by the writer), as opposed to using the term engine.

Men in black (pajamas), armed with keyboards are a dangerous lot! Come on suckers, bring it on!

[Fichori]

Thats rough country.

Like a cheese greater for airplanes.