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Aviation Adventurer Steve Fossett's Aeroplane Wreckage Found
Posted by John Mahoney at 1:15 AM on October 3, 2008
After a hiker found some of Fossett's ID documents in eastern California while on a trail in the Sierra Nevadas, a search team has found what looks to be the wreckage of the record-breaking pilot's single-engine Bellanca plane. Fossett, who became the first person to fly solo around the world in a balloon among other feats, took off for a quick leisure flight in September of last year and never came back. He was declared legally deceased in February by his family, and now, finally a bit more closure. [Reuters]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Metron4
Posted 1:36 AM 3/10/08
I wonder if his plane showed up on Google Maps. Anyone know the last time they updated those, and the coordinates of where his plane was found?
Metron4
achung123
Posted 1:36 AM 3/10/08
Finally we found you. RIP.
achung123
froggy
Posted 1:28 AM 3/10/08
It's sad when someone like him goes. At least he went out doing what he loved. Too bad it was so soon.
froggy
Geisrud
Posted 1:21 AM 3/10/08
That man must have had balls of steel. RIP
Geisrud
Denver_80203
Posted 1:21 AM 3/10/08
No human remains found. His ID looked chewed up. Sad.
Denver_80203
Curves
Posted 1:57 AM 3/10/08
I know a lot of people want to die doing what they love, like Mr Fossett. In many Giz cases that will involve game controller in hand or dying beneath a pile of moaning women. Personally, I hope I kick off at work; it automatically doubles my life insurance pay off and no one would notice for a week anyway, making me look REALLY devoted to my job.
Curves
Bachus_snowman
Posted 1:54 AM 3/10/08
He has a very contagious and a smile which displays total bliss in whatever he is doing. RIP.
Bachus_snowman
Phenostar
Posted 1:53 AM 3/10/08
@DMcGrew: Not to make light of the situation, but he probably ended up being some carnivore's breakfast/lunch/dinner.
Phenostar
tabaks
Posted 1:49 AM 3/10/08
@Metron4:
Yes, mr Obvious, you ARE the first one that came up with this idea. 8^/
tabaks
tabaks
Posted 1:48 AM 3/10/08
RIP Steve, you lived a full life many of us can only imagine.
tabaks
DMcGrew
Posted 1:44 AM 3/10/08
How is there no body?? There would at least be bones at the crash site, right? They said the chances of surviving the crash were extremely slim.. so I guess he didnt walk off anywhere.. so wtf.
DMcGrew
Phenostar
Posted 2:29 AM 3/10/08
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: Yeah when everybody says "where are all the bigfoot carcasses if they exist?!" they don't realize that most people have never even seen a bear carcass in the wild.
Anyways, enough about bigfoot.
Phenostar
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 2:28 AM 3/10/08
@Curves: Or pressing the black hole button on the LHC....
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:18 AM 3/10/08
@Curves: Or a pile of Lego's or iPhones.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:18 AM 3/10/08
@Phenostar: Someone did a study on one of the science channels to see how easily a deer carcass could disappear to try and prove a bigfoot body could be found. But for the fact they secured the body, the video they took showed that it would have been carried away, and even though the animals couldn't move the deer, they did a damn good job of making it go bye-bye.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Metron4
Posted 2:17 AM 3/10/08
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: Associated Press reports that the fuselage disintegrated upon impact, and the engine was found several hundred feet away. So it won't show up anyway.
Metron4
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:14 AM 3/10/08
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: [www.ntsb.gov] is the report. Not much info unfortunally. But if they only found the stuff the other day, they might not have had time to update.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 2:09 AM 3/10/08
@Metron4: Check the NTSB investigation page. [www.ntsb.gov] You can research the date of the original incident, and they usually give the co-ordinates.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
ninjamurf
Posted 3:07 AM 3/10/08
@achung123: Doesn't look like we've found him yet?
ninjamurf
Sora57
Posted 3:56 AM 3/10/08
@Curves: Or eternally clicking on the "reply" button on Giz.
Sora57
unspellable
Posted 3:54 AM 3/10/08
@Denver_80203: He's not dead, in my book, until the find some bones - and DNA therewith. Until then he just wanted to get away for a while.
unspellable
Toshie
Posted 3:53 AM 3/10/08
@Metron4: There's a picture of the wreckage here:
[www.cnn.com]
Probably not enough to see unless you knew exactly where to look and what you were looking for.
BTW, why does the main story link to a register only site (FT)?
Toshie
frigg
Posted 4:39 AM 3/10/08
@Curves: I don't think anyone's ever died doing what they loved. At best, they lived doing what they loved, and died when things went catastrophically wrong.
frigg
aec007
Posted 5:34 AM 3/10/08
@Curves:
Most people die when they least expect it... So have everything in order before you go.
Now about the pile of moaning women....
I'm going to have to add that one to the list....
;)
aec007
EricAlder
Posted 5:32 AM 3/10/08
The hiker also found $1,100 (in hundreds) along with the other stuff... that's one honest hiker!
(If it we me: "Hey, I found all this stuff with Fossett's name on it. What's that? Money? Nope, no money... didn't find any money.)
EricAlder
closhedbb
Posted 6:02 AM 3/10/08
@frigg: Excellent point. I don't think he loved crashing planes, so he probably didn't die doing what he loved.
closhedbb
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 7:39 AM 3/10/08
@Noobs-R-Us: Also, I won't believe that he's actually dead until they can find his remains. He could have walked out of thesre and put the cards there to fake his death. Just out of teh plane with a parachutte.
Noobs-R-Us
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 7:37 AM 3/10/08
Ah, sorry people, this man was selfish. He got what he wanted. I've never seen someone in such a hurry to die. Now his family will suffer from his actions. Truly selfish.
Noobs-R-Us
tabaks
Posted 7:35 AM 3/10/08
@closhedbb:
I also don't like dying reading crap so I'm like I survived your comment.
tabaks
closhedbb
Posted 8:06 AM 3/10/08
@tabaks: You are very much like you survived my comment. I don't know what that means, but I'll roll with it...
closhedbb
Oldbrass
Posted 11:32 AM 3/10/08
I partly agree with Noobs. The flying he was doing at the time of his death was nothing too special. It was an accident that could have happened to any seasoned pilot. What always kind of tweaked me was the "first man to try a bunch of times to balloon around the world" thing. So what? It proved exactly nothing and provided no scientific data of any help. He might as well sat around a camp fire shoveling $100 bills into the flames and singing.
Having said that, my hat is off in honor to fellow pilot. RIP
Oldbrass
Noobs-R-Us
Posted 1:24 PM 3/10/08
Another thing that I wonder about is why are there so many people looking for him? Is his family paying for this search?
Contrast this with the former senior editor at CNet who froze to death in the cold mountains when authorities were slow to react and organize a search. Sad!
Noobs-R-Us
RedwoodFlyer
Posted 3:15 PM 3/10/08
@undefined:
The state of Nevada billed the family $800,000 for the efforts, and Baron Hilton sent a check for $200,000.
I'm an aviator at heart (and in career) and have some sympathy for the family, but not any more so than anyone else who dies...he wasn't really a hero by any means, and did nothing to further the human race = publicity whore.
RedwoodFlyer
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 9:09 PM 3/10/08
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: They just added more info to the report. Still no coordinates other than the takeoff point.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
MacauleyLawliphile
Posted 6:03 AM 3/10/08
Steve was way off where he said he was going to be, enough to surely make him late for lunch with one of his wealthy friends. Assuming he was thinking straight, I would surmise that he saw the towering storm clouds in the distance, and couldn't resist getting in some impromptu soaring. If so, he would not be the first pilot to get suckered by a mountain downdraft. I only hope he enjoyed the beautiful view while it lasted.
MacauleyLawliphile