I'm sure there must be somebody else in the world with that name, but really, the odds... a hoax seems more likely.

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"ID cards, cash and a sweatshirt were among the items found in woods near the town of Mammoth Lakes, in a rugged eastern area of the state."
From BBC News dateline 1 October 2008 21:17 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7647303.stm

John the dataminer
(it wasn't hard)

No wreckage... that's really odd.

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Lack of aircraft is a good reason to fall out of the sky though...

But seriously, it is a bit odd. You'd expect to find either the wreckage or the man in the neighbourhood of the jacket.

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There might be. There was a late report on local news that they might have spotted wreckage and were going to take a closer look tomorrow. This is still very preliminary (might not be wreckage, might not be his), but google search turned up this:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g...M6OVAD93I7O2G0

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The Leif Ericson Cruiser

By the way, it also mentions in the article that they had found $1,005 in cash, and they haven't said there was anything obviously wrong with the IDs found (with matching name, birth date, address, and pilot license certificate number), so if this is a fake, it's a fairly elaborate one.

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The Leif Ericson Cruiser

Who says he was wearing his jacket at the time his plane went down?
I can easily see how the objects that are more susceptible to air resistance being further from the wreckage.

I do not find it odd in the least.

NYTimes treatment of the story. Also, click on the link to see an image of Morrow, the fellow who found the ID cards and money:
Searchers for Aviator Spot Wreckage in Mountains

There's also this to consider: If Fosset survived the crash, he might've tried to walk out of the area. Pilots are taught that the best way to survive is to stay with the wreckage (it's normally easier to see a plane wreckage than an individual). However, if he knew his plane was in an area where it'd be difficult to locate from the air or if he believed his chances were better, he might've tried to walk out.

Also, whether he did or didn't survive the crash, it's likely his body was eaten by animals. Animals sometimes carry things quite a distance from where the body died.

What if there were an explosion, and the debris scattered? How far apart are the wreckage and personal items?

I think they would have mentioned if the jacket looked chewed on.
I'm not sure animals walk around with $1000 in cash often... Most of the ones I have met don't at least.

But I'll keep an eye out for it.

Developing story. They found the plane, but no human remains. Briefing is occuring now.

They said he ran head-on into the mountain. It would be a lot more interesting if he backed into it.

Edit: Wow; that grid was previously searched 19 times.

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Link to CNN.com story

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Wow; that story is changing real fast. I just commented on the other Fosset thread from the same story when it seemed to indicate that the sheriff said it's up to the NTSB to identify it. Now it's the Sheriff?

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Is that a man?

Attached Thumbnails

 

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Update and photos:

Wreckage of Fossett’s Plane Is Found

Another story quotes the sheriff as saying the crash site and the location of the found items are about 1/4 mile apart.

Doesn't look like too much different than all the other stories.
The photos are of the ID which I've seen elsewhere... I guess I was hoping to see the area that it was found.

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The CNN.com story I linked to above now has a photo of some of the wreakage and a link to a map.

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Wow;
I'd probably have inserted another adjecteve in front of "doubt someone would've walked away..."

Something like that would wreak a lot of havoc with the body.

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I watched and listened to the video of the sheriff who said the engine was found 300 feet away. Makes me wonder at what angle and speed the plane "impacted terrain" as the NTSB often says. Would a true head-on crash spit the engine that far? Or was it more oblique...as if he was trying to pull out and semi-pancaked.

It'll be interesting to read the NTSB report.

Something that passed through my mind too. I haven't heard what they mean by head-on. From the live press conference when the discovery was made, somebody was explaining how this was a flat area and not really the side of a mountain.

I let it pass thinking I might hear more.

Edit: Here's a bit of understatement from the NTSB for the sake of legalese.
USAToday

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Please excuse me if this appears rude, but regarding anything about Steve Fosset, including his round trip in the balloon, I have to ask:

Who cares?

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You may not care and that's fine. As a pilot and admirer of Steve Fosset, I care.

I think they would have mentioned if the jacket looked chewed on.
I'm not sure animals walk around with $1000 in cash often... Most of the ones I have met don't at least.

But I'll keep an eye out for it.

A report I saw yesterday mentioned that the jacket appeared to have both human and animal hair on it. If that's accurate, I'd consider the presence of animal hair as a clue. Of course, that may not have been accurate. The news media is notoriously inaccurate when it comes to aviation. It's also possible the jacket including identification cards and cash washed off of the mountain.

As for positively identifying the plane, every airplane is required to have a metal identification plate with identifying information (make, model, serial number, etc.) That plate is mounted on the rear fuselage near the tail. I'm reasonably confident that the ground search party had the identifying information and was able to confirm the plane's identity as being the one Fosset was flying.

As to the crash itself, if the plane flew straight into the side of a mountain, it seems unlikely the engine would be 300 feet away (uphill). Some of the pictures seem to show the plane hit on an incline, perhaps a glancing blow. It's hard to tell from the sketchy information released to date.

One thing I learned from years of flying in Colorado is that if it's windy, you can encounter very strong downdrafts when flying towards mountains. Those downdrafts can be strong enough to overcome your plane's ability to climb. The preferred technique is to approach a mountain ridge at an angle so that it'll be easier to turn away from the mountain if it doesn't look like you're going to clear it. That might be one possibility of what happened to Fosset. A Bellanca Decathlon has a good climb rate but at that altitude, he still might've found himself unable to clear the mountain. It's also possible the visibility was low and he didn't see the mountain in time. A cloud covered mountain is known as "cumulo granite." Very unhealthy.

Steve Fossett was what a lot of people wish they were. He was an adventurer (in many areas), a millionaire, and managed to stay married to the same woman for about 30 years.

His persistance in his around-the-world balloon attempts is legendary, and that alone puts him in my hero category. Personally, I think the world is a lesser place without him, if only because there is one fewer great acheiver to inspire the rest of us.

On top of that, his disappearance was a mystery....and we all love a mystery. I'd love to see him walk out of the woods and ask the search crew what took them so long. But sadly, that isn't going to happen

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Kliendoofy, Fossett was a $#@% good and experienced pilot, a generally very smart fellow, had risked his life numerous times and had survived some outlandish experiences. So for him to fly off into the desert in a very trustworthy aircraft on a routine flight, and not come back with nary a clue, well it's just a darned good and fascinating story. As Terry Pratchett might say, it has narrativium.*

*"The Science of Discworld", Jack Cohen, Ian Stewart & Terry Pratchett

Looks like I was off by about 200 miles from my prediction in the OP.

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It is interesting, though mainly to his family, I suppose.
But you guys are extrapolating on extrapolations, and building theories on it.
Me, I'll wait until the coroner's enquiry.
RIP, Mr.Fosset

PS Now someone's saying he's not dead: Steve Fossett not dead?

I can't help it, but that makes me think of this Gary Larson cartoon.

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Speaking of predictions, how many psychics pointed to this area before the discovery, and how many will point to it afterward?

Answers: Zero, and all of them.

Fred

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