Adventurer Still Missing

Reno, Nevada – September 7, 2007 – Multi-millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett took off in a single-engine aircraft Monday morning to scout locations for his next record-attempt —breaking the land speed record in a rocket-powered car. He said he’d be right back. But the 63-year-old never returned to the airstrip at the Flying M Ranch in southern Nevada owned by friend and fellow aviation enthusiast Barron Hilton. Five days later, a squadron of 10 or more aircraft and helicopters continue to look for Fossett and the Citabria Super Decathlon over Nevada’s high desert. The Independent reported that National Guard C-130s and helicopters with thermal imaging equipment searched the peaks and sagebrush desert of northwest Nevada but failed to find anything new. The search area has been extended to a 1,700 square-mile area, which includes peaks and rugged high desert. However, the total search area is 10,000 square miles and could take another week to complete, said Civil Air Patrol spokeswoman, Maj. Cynthia S. Ryan. According to a CAP news release, the search became fully operational early on Tuesday, September 4, using maximum resources from the Civil Air Patrol’s Nevada, California and Utah wings, the Nevada Air and Army National Guard, California Highway Patrol and ground teams from four counties in the targeted search area. Additionally, the Washoe County Search and Rescue team has deployed a submersible vehicle in Nevada’s Walker Lake, hoping to identify any wreckage or debris that might lead searchers to focus in that area. However, searchers have not heard the missing plane’s locator radio beacon, which should go off if there is a hard impact, nor have they heard from the plane’s radio. In addition, the 63-year-old Fossett’s emergency wristwatch has not been activated. However, the terrain could make communication difficult and the emergency devices might not be able to send out a signal properly if Fossett was deep in a canyon, Ryan said. Still, Fossett's friends and search leaders remain confident the world-famous adventurer is alive. "If anyone has to be lost out there, this man has the skills to survive," Ryan said. "With water, he could live out there for two weeks." Water was on board his plane. "Steve is a tough old boot,” friend and financier Sir Richard Branson said in a written statement. “I suspect he is waiting by his plane right now for someone to pick him up. The ranch he took off from covers a huge area, and Steve has had far tougher challenges to overcome in the past. Based on his track record, I feel confident we'll get some good news soon." Steve Fossett at a glance • He holds 116 records in several sports, including balloons, airplanes, gliders and sailboats. • He is probably best known for traveling solo around the world in a hot air balloon in July 2002. It was his sixth attempt. • Fossett also set an Absolute Round the World Speed Record, a new record for the Fastest Speed by a Manned Balloon and a new 24 Hour Balloon Distance Record. • He also became the first solo aircraft pilot to circumnavigate the globe without refueling in March 2005, in his Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. Fossett completed that trip in 66 hours. • The latest record to be broke occurred in July 2007, when Fossett and fellow glider pilot Terry Delore flew a 777 triangular course in Nevada in 8 hours and 23 minutes at a new world record average speed of nearly 93 mph. It was their 27th attempt over four years and four continents. • In addition, Fossett has climbed some of the world's best-known peaks, including the Matterhorn in Switzerland and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. • He also swam the English Channel in 1985, placed 47th in the Iditarod dog sled race in 1992, participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race in 1996 and broke the round-the-world sailing record by six days in 2004. • He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in July. • He is a Stanford University graduate with a master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis.		Adventurer Steve Fossett has been missing since Monday in the Nevada Desert. Fossett, who holds more than 100 world records in a variety of categories including aviation, was scouting locations for his next record attempt. He took off from a remote desert airstrip and has not been heard from since. The Civil Air Patrol and local authorities continue their search. Steve Fossett (center) is greeted by FAA Administrator Marion Blakey (left), EAA President Tom Poberezny (center) and Sir Richard Branson (right) upon his arrival at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2005. Fossett has just landed in his record-setting aircraft “GlobalFlyer.” Fossett has been a frequent visitor to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
		For More Information
		Fossett Sets Closed Course Glider Record Steve Fossett Sets High Altitude Glider Record Fossett Sets Round the World Record Fossett and GlobalFlyer Complete Flight GlobalFlyer Completes First Round-the-world Flight

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