« Steve Fossett's Personal Items Found | Main | Searching For Steve Fossett »
October 2, 2008
Steve Fossett's Plane Wreckage Possibly Found
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431605,00.html
MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. -- Search teams combing a rugged part of eastern California for any sign of Steve Fossett, the adventurer who vanished on a solo flight more than a year ago, have spotted what appeared to be wreckage Wednesday, authorities said.
Erica Stuart, spokeswoman for the Madera County Sheriff's Office, would not reveal the exact location of the reported aerial sighting, which she said was called in around sunset.
Searchers had been combing a 10-mile radius around the spot where a hiker had found what appeared to be a pilot's license and other items belonging to Fossett earlier in the week.
A ground team was en route to the site Wednesday night, and authorities would be able to confirm there is actual wreckage and whether it belongs to Fossett on Thursday morning, Stuart said.
I think Fossett's Super Decathlon went down above the Minaret Mine at approximately this location. The guy claims to have found Fossett's Identification papers, money, and jacket up near the Minaret Mine.
Logically, this means the plane had to have crashed above the mine.
If he survived the crash, he would have hiked down, not up. If you're 65 years old and crash your plane at 10,000 feet above sea level, you're not going to climb out of the cockpit and start climbing higher up the mountain. You'd take the easiest way out and walk downhill to civilization.
On the other hand, if Fossett perished in the crash, the snow and ice would have pushed him and the plane down the mountain.
Either way, the plane will be found above the site where Fossett's personal effects were found, which will put the plane right about here.
Posted by Rob Kiser on October 2, 2008 at 5:14 AM
Comments