Danger Data

News is now reporting that the wreckage found near Mammoth Lake, California is indeed from the plane of Steve Fossett who has been missing for over a year.  On Monday hikers found an ID belonging to Fossett, some cash, and on Tuesday a jacket.   No body has been found as of Thursday October 1 but some believe that animal scavenging combined with the long time frame make it unlikely his body will be recovered.

Fossett’s disappearance led to one of the largest search and rescue efforts of the past several years, where even internet satellite imagery was scanned by thousands of volunteers in an effort to find signs of Fossett or his plane after he flew from Barron Hilton’s ranch in Nevada on a day trip to scout the area for dry lakes.

The wreckage was found about 125 miles south of the ranch in the mountains near Mammoth Lakes.   The fact that this area is wooded and was not a major focus area of the search may explain why the plane was not located in the initial search efforts.

Update:  CNN Reports plane wreckage found, may be Fossett’s Plane

A hiker and locals, apparently from the Mammoth Lakes area of California, have found ID, money, and a jacket that appear to be from missing aviator Steve Fossett who was flying in this area almost a year ago. The items were found Monday according to the hiker.

View Larger Map

I’m really confused about this turn of events because it does not add up that Fossett survived the crash only to fail to create enough of a ground footprint to be found. Fossett was one of the most advanced adventurers in the world and it seems he would have been able to create signals visible for hundreds of miles. I’m thinking this is either a hoax by the hikers (my top choice), or an indication Fossett’s death is indeed mysterious. Why would he not leave a crystal clear trail?

Here is the full story which includes this:

Tattered and crumpled on the ground, the Mammoth Lakes local found what appears to be two FAA cards that listed the name Steve Fossett, both were apparently either issued or had some sort of connection to the State of Illinois. The two cards were found with a small amount of money and not far away, a sweat jacket, also a bit worn and beaten up from the weather.