Teams have found wreckage of Fossett plane: police

[Avro]

I understand they've found some body parts, or at least a few bones and that they will be doing DNA testing to determine who's they are. If they confirm that it is Fossett, it should put an end to the speculation.

Oh....no no no no....they were planted you see, by the government, in some vast conspiracy.:lol:

 

[Praxius]

The plane he was flying in was quite small, I highly doubt he would have the phyiscal space needed to slip a parachute on.

Then allow me to shed some further light on the details of this:

Remains found in Fossett's plane
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7649799.stm

US investigators say they have found what they believe may be human remains amid the wreckage of adventurer Steve Fossett's plane in eastern California.


The remains, although minimal, are said to be enough to provide a DNA sample for identification testing.

The 63-year-old millionaire disappeared a year ago while on a solo flight from a ranch in neighbouring Nevada.

His plane was finally located on Wednesday after a hiker handed items belonging to Mr Fossett to police.

'Bone fragment'

The wreckage was found during a subsequent aerial search of a remote stretch of the Sierra Nevada mountains west of the town of Mammoth Lakes, at an altitude of around 10,000ft (3,048m).

A ground team flown into the area by helicopter later confirmed the identity of the plane, a single-engine Bellanca Super Decathlon, which officials said seemed to have struck the mountainside head-on.

"It was a hard-impact crash, and he would've died instantly," said Jeff Page, emergency management co-ordinator for Lyon County, Nevada, who assisted in the search.

Most of the fuselage had disintegrated, with engine parts scattered over a debris field stretching about 150ft (46m) by 400ft (122m).
Search teams combing the site found more personal effects and what they described as a bone fragment, measuring 2 inches (5cm) by 1.5 inches (2.5cm).


"We found human remains, but there's very little," said Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. "Given the length of time the wreckage has been out there, it's not surprising there's not very much."

DNA tests would be performed on the material on a lab in California, he said.

Earlier, Madera County Sheriff John Anderson confirmed the find but injected a note of caution. "We don't know if it's human. It certainly could be," he said.

Officials now plan to remove the wreckage of the plane for reassembly and examination, and search for further human remains. But snow is expected over the weekend, which could potentially hamper the investigation.

Steve Fossett became the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon in 2002 and had about 100 other world records to his name.

He vanished in September 2007 after taking off from a Nevada ranch for a solo flight.

For more than a year there was no trace of him, despite an intensive search.

But on Monday the hiker found identification documents belonging to him in undergrowth about 0.25 miles (0.4km) from the crash site, triggering an aerial search of a new area.

"The uncertainty surrounding my husband's death over this past year has created a very difficult situation for me," Mr Fossett's widow, Peggy, said in a statement. "I hope now to be able to bring to closure a very painful chapter in my life."

"I prefer to think about Steve's life rather than his death and celebrate his many extraordinary accomplishments."

British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson also paid tribute to his friend and fellow adventurer.
"He led an extraordinary, absolutely remarkable life, and now we can remember him for what he was and move on," he said.

So he very well could be dead.

 

[shadowshiv]

I personally think the remains will prove to be his, and his family will be able to take that final step towards closure. They will finally know that he is indeed dead rather than just missing.

 

[metrogirl]

Glad they found him but it was so sad.

 

[Praxius]

There you have it:

Remains match DNA of missing aviator Steve Fossett
Remains match DNA of missing aviator Steve Fossett

Case Closed.... moving on....

 

[Avro]

Who cares?;-)

 

[#juan]

oh, there will be bones. There are always bones. It's amazing what osteologists can piece together from shards.

Not always. The worst thing is that animals will carry bones miles from the crash site.

In any case they've found enough for DNA testing and there is a match with the missing pilot and at least that part of the story is finished.

 

[lone wolf]

Who cares?;-)

Hmm...
...the FAA,
...the insurance company who has to part with the cash,
...the IRS, who can now claim its due,
...the lawyer of some 43rd cousin twice removed who feels compelled to challenge the will,
...the guy who once said hello so he should be in the will too,
...the family