Steve Fossett missing

[isiahstites]

My other idea is that he flew south -  low, skirting radar -  refueled  -  and headed to Mexico -  where he is trying to convince Craig Breedlove to make the landspeed attempt dressed in a Steve Fossett mask!

What record was he going after?

[Rocket123]

You think he faked his death. YA RIGHT!

[Rocket123]

He was going after the absolute land speed record.

[Glen]

I don't think this is a joking manner. We all hope for the best for Steve.
Glen

[Dean Los Angeles]

Glide ratio only counts if there is air to glide on. If you are flying low you are going to land/crash on what is below you. If the engine coughs, you are going to land on the tree/rock/water that is below you.

If you make the positive guess that a crash didn't happen, he was reported to have several means of communications that hasn't been heard from. Even assuming rough terrain that block transmission and he is at this moment walking out . . . Pretty slim, huh?

As popular and rich as he may be, the plane might never be found. If he isn't found, then the conspiracy theorists are going to turn this into another Amelia Earhart. You did know that she survived, was captured by the Japanese and was the emperor's sweetheart and Tokyo Rose?

Oh snap! Carl already has that covered.

[JackD]

You think he faked his death. YA RIGHT!

You have confused a "Tongue in Cheek" response with "Biting a Lip."

[Blown Alcohol 57tbird]

Here is up to date news on Steve Fossett I live just 1 hour from Reno was hopping he could run Graig Breedloves car in three weeks. I was at Breedloves shop he has a new big pleasure boat. 1997 Was a once in a life time deal at Block Rock glad I was there helping Craig

Steve web site updates
http://www.stevefossett.com/

[Flyboy]

I have privately voiced the same thoughts to others flyboy.  My gut feeling is that he was "skimming" or whatever they call it -  when the pilot trys to drag his wheels in the water -  just skimming the surface.  If he didn't get it exactly right -  got in a little to deep -  the plane would have nosed over into a face plant -  incapacitate the pilot and sink.    under water -  no elt would be heard -  and if he was knocked out by the accident -  he had no chance of getting out!

Carl pilots don't skim the water as that would be an immediate crash. What they sometimes do foolishly is to fly low at 50 to 100 ft above the water for an adrenaline rush. The only problem with that is that they can develop what I call a "blue-out", as in "white-out". I once tried to land near the pits at Bonneville three years ago and developed a "white-out". As I started to descend there came a period where I could not tell if I was 100 ft or 10 feet above the salts. All I saw was white salt with no dark objects for references. When one flies above a large body of water such as Pyramid Lake they can develop a "blue-out". As you look down towards the blue water out of the side of your window you can't tell if you're 100 feet or 10 ft above the water. Add to the fact that the Decathlon has a light wing loading... one small gust of wind could have dropped him down 50 ft. in one second. A long time ago military pilots that flew over water were taught never to release themselves from there parachute harnesses (if dropping down in a parachute) until their feet touched the water. Previously some pilots had released themselves from their harnesses thinking that were 5 feet above the water when in fact they were 1,000 ft above the water--

[Blue]

To all who have sent coordinates or images, thank you.  Some additional information:

The aircraft was last seen on NAS Fallon radar ~5 miles east of Hawthorne Army Depot, (38 30N, 118 30W) proceeding northbound, descending slowly (controlled) through 7000’ msl at 10:05 AM local time.  This location is less than 30 miles ESE from the point of departure/arrival.  Estimated time of return to the ranch was 11:00 AM.  The predicted aircraft performance and climb rate must be adjusted down for the density altitude of this area in summer.  Because it was a tube and fabric aircraft, it is very likely that the wreckage will look like a pile of sticks and paper.  Satellite images of intact aircraft are usually in flight and not wreckage.

Steve was on a local pleasure flight and not surveying run sites for the LSR.  The extreme terrain and high density altitude require turbine helicopters for close in search.  Fixed wing and piston aircraft have proven to be unable to follow the terrain in the present conditions.

The majority of the search effort is concentrated in this area with Army and Air National Guard aircraft supplemented by volunteers and chartered helicopters manned by trained SAR operators and observers.  The main search is being directed by National Guard SAR and C-SAR personnel with direct input from Steve’s staff pilot on his habits and intentions.

Eric Ahlstrom
Program Manager, ALSR
775-302-6762 cell
eahlstrom@pyramid.net

[1212FBGS]

thanks blue
that clears up a few things for us uninformed speculators... good luck with the continued search..... and go find him....ok!
kent

[JackD]

Thank You Eric
 for the most factual and complete report of any that has been seen by most and not full of the sensationalism that fills so many press accounts.
The multiple printed stories did not ring true with a number of readers.

[Flyboy]

To all who have sent coordinates or images, thank you.  Some additional information:

The aircraft was last seen on NAS Fallon radar ~5 miles east of Hawthorne Army Depot, (38 30N, 118 30W) proceeding northbound, descending slowly (controlled) through 7000’ msl at 10:05 AM local time.  Steve was on a local pleasure flight and not surveying run sites for the LSR. 

Blue,

Why the disparage between your accounts and that of the press? Going from searching the size of New Hampshire... to now a 50 sq mile area? And he was going to check out sites for LSR? It seems additional information has come in seven days now after he is missing. Did you check Walker Lake which is only 5 miles to the east of the above coordinates? The lake is in direct line with his return to the ranch if the above radar track is true. Check the shores all around the lake for debris. Please keep us informed. Thanks--

[SPARKY]

Decathlon wing---Has a symmetrical wing---it is not a high lift wing like  most of its small plane cousins and the air frame is heaver for the high G's---

I have heard of SOME  high time small plane pilots have been known to play by rolling one or both tires , in grass, wheat, corn, roads, railroad tracks; bush pilots are known to use water as part of the landing roll when landing on sand bars

[Blue]

The CAP is talking to the press, so the press is listening to a group that has ignored all data and is flying in straight lines at 2500 to 4000' agl.  We flew under them.  They are off searching randomly, while the real search effort has found 6 of the 150 unsolved Nevada wrecks.  One dates back to 1964. 

We hope to find Steve a little sooner.

A qualified team experienced in finding sunken boaters and drowning victims in deep reservoirs is searching Walker Lake with side scan sonar. We have one final witness account of a blue and white Decathlon over Mud Spring going east towards Powell Canyon at ~1030. 

This was a slow aircraft on a local flight.  Steve did not take the equipment with him that he uses to survey sites;  this was speculation on the part of the press and the CAP that has persisted despite our correcting it every day for a week.  Steve is probably close by.  The difficulty is that the terrain is rugged and a tube and fabric aircraft wreck will look like a SMALL pile of sticks from the air.

[ack]

As the largest volume manufacturer of aircraft ELT’s I have always supported the CAP but I have given my last donation.  I watched their spokeswoman on national TV look straight at the camera when asked by a correspondent “if this was an extraordinarily large effort to find Steve Fossett” and she answered “oh no we would be putting forth the same effort for anybody”.

I am glad of the effort being made and of all the resources being used to find Fossett as he is an extraordinary individual but the CAP has lost all credibility in my eyes, just another BS organization trying to look good to the public. When you find 8 aircraft that have been missing for years in the course of 1 week I have to ask myself; how hard did they look for them?