Steve Fossett... Plane... Missing... Found

Think he would have a SAT phone with him?

 

That's it?

So you think its not a problem when one person decides to have an adventure, and does something risky and causes millions to be spent and probably hundreds of thousands of man-hours in a search for them? If it was guys exploring the bottom of the ocean or something of some scientific value, then fine. But when it's just people who want "adventure" and to be able to say they did X to their friends, then I have little interest in huge expenditures to find them. I feel the same about people who go 'extreme climbing' and then get lost in the woods or on a mountain and require big expenditures to get them back.

That does not mean it's not sad when something goes awry, but if they take exteme risks, they face extreme consequences. I wonder what tasks went unfulfilled that all these people looking for this guy would have otherwise been doing?

 

+1

BTW, If I were this guy I'd have the Breitling emergency watch. Although you get charged $15k for using the homing beacon feature, it would be worth it if you're stranded.

 

+1 This is why I'm against gov't paid health care too (or limiting it to things not within your control) -- your bad, or risky, behavior should be your own responsibility.

 

If he was involved in doing something stupid or risky I would agree with you. But he done nothing more than take his airplane out flying. I don't care what he reason for flying that day was. He was a accomplished pilot and wasn't doing any dangerous basicly straight and level flight. From what I heard he even took more precautions than most flying similar aircraft. So in this instance he should be giving every bit of help and support that is being given. If it was me in that plane I would hope there would be the same effort giving to my recovery.

If they go and rescue idiot mountian climbers that get stuck in snow storms and don't charge them. Then when a properly trained pilot takes his aircraft on a flight and runs into trouble then he should be given the same.

If we are going to start charging fo rescues where tdo we draw the line. What if a ship runs into trouble does the coast guard charge every person for sending a ship or helicopter to save them? What about a child that wonders off and gets lost in the wilderness? Should the parents have to pay for search and rescue operations?

Complaining about the costs of Search, Rescue or Recovery especially when the Search is still on is in quite poor taste. He paid his taxes just like all of us. Now that he needs the help the last thing that anybody needs to be concerned with is who's going to pay the bill. Frankly his taxes already has paid it.

 

Agreed, 100%

 

Well, it appears I stand corrected. I thought Fossett was involved in some sort of record attempt when his plane went missing, but rather it appears that he was on a pleasure flight in a private plane when it went missing. In that case, I believe he deserves the benefit of all means of resue that would be afforded to anyone who had gone missing in similar circumstances.

However, during my reading about Fossett, it appears he has tried many stunts that are of no particular value other than self-aggrandizement, including setting "records" where he was the only one competing in their creation. I mean, who cares how many days it takes someone to float round the world in a balloon? Other than being on TV and saying "yeah! I did it!" it offers nothing to anyone other than the ego of the person doing it. Thats's fine - but just like I am not in favor of spending vast resources finding people who put themselves in danger climbing mountains against advice of park rangers, etc, or finding people who climb Mt. Everest and get lost, I also don't think we should waste resources on people who do risky things outside of the norm and then want society to cover the cost if they go bad.

Having said that its clear I was mistaken on the circumstances of Fossett's disappearance and given those circumstances the search/expense is justified.

 

besides the obvious that life is worth saving, he is a billionaire: anyone think he wouldn't pitch in a couple dinari for the thanks of it all?

As a side, note, he is in one of the most Bermuda triangle areas of Nevada, where they keep running into wrecks all the time during this search. His was a rented plane, where the beacon might be either faulty [doubt it], or just didn't activate correctly [more than likely].

It would be a miracle if he survived this. If he does, he has the greater adventure of his life to talk about.

 

Noted:
When SRTMIKE goes hiking for the weekend and gets lost, do not send in S/R. Or when he goes deepsea diving and has an accident, he does not want his body recovered.

 

-Connect to Google.com maps, or MSN Live search, and centre on the state of Nevada.

-Zoom out to about the 2,000 feet level and see how the terrain looks.

-Zoom out to about the 10,000 feet level and see how the terrain looks again.

-Zoom out until you realize how f*&ckin impossible it would be to find a tiny airplane in there!


How can they find an airplane if it crashed under the tree tops? Only a low level flight or foot search can locate it.

 

Not to mention the fact that the family and friends are /were covering a considerable amount of the cost of extra equipment.

For those who keep bringing up the Emergency watch......... I own two........ Steve had one, but was not wearing it at the time.

It also won't help if you are unable to activate it.

Steve was an adventurer, but I think you will find that he had his own rescue plans during those missions. This was a VFR flight around his own area.

 

Maybe that's the latest story. I read that he always wore that watch when flying. He just happens to not wear it that day, his plane's ELT doesn't happen to work either, all the best equipment in the world including the military and NORAD can't find the guy including countless man hours and probably several $Mill in search costs? Also, you notice that the fact that the search is off is just a quiet subheadline in the mainstream media, almost as if they didn't really want you to notice? It does not add up. Sorry, not buying it and there's more to it.

 

On the other hand, if he plowed into the ground (or side of a mountain) at 200+mph, then the watch and ELT aren't going to do much because they are going to be smashed to bits. I think that's more likely.

 

O boy! ANOTHER conspiracy! I love conspiracies!!!11! Tell me more!!11!!!!1

 

Preliminary NTSB report. Nothing new, but he's now officially listed as a probable fatality

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070917X01399&key=1

NTSB Identification: SEA07FAMS2
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, September 03, 2007 in Yerington, NV
Aircraft: Bellanca 8KCAB-180, registration: N240R
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On September 3, 2007, at approximately 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 8KCAB-180, N240R, was reported overdue/missing near Yerington, Nevada. The airline transport pilot was the sole occupant on board. The airplane has not yet been found. The Flying M Hunting Club Inc. was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight, which originated at approximately 0900. No flight plan had been filed.

Friends of the pilot said that he was on a reconnaissance flight to look at some of the regional dry lakebeds. He was scheduled to return to the Flying M Ranch by 1200. When the pilot failed to return, a search for the aircraft commenced immediately. There were no known emergency radio transmissions from the airplane, nor were any ELT transmissions received

 

Can believe this suse has not been found yet, NUTS!

 

I think it's sitting in a body of water somewhere in the mountains.

 

I heard one news report say they were checking into his financial situation. Just standard procedure.

I guess you have to check, and make sure someone didn't have a reason to disappear... and turn-up as someone else on a private island in the Bahamas

 

If you check out his web site: http://www.stevefossett.com/ it gives several updates of the search. Nowhere on the site does it ask any hard questions of things that don't seem to make sense i.e. ELT's mysteriously not working and telling whereabouts, why there's absolutely no sign of him even with all the sophisticated equipment being used, they claim he's probably within a 50 mile radius(it's not like they're trying to search the entire State), would finding someone within a 50 mile radius be that tough? His site gives you the opportunity to use some satellite imaging to do your own "Where's Waldo" search. All in all it seems half ass'd.

I read early on that crashing a plane of that type and considering the sophistication of the pilot would be like an experienced racing car driver crashing his car in a parking lot. Sure it can happen but where's the hard proof?

 

.....! I never thought about it like that.


Maybe he landed in the Bahama's and assumed a new identity?

Maybe he wasn't on the plane at all??







Bah....who are we kidding...

He crash landed and the coyotes are probably fighting over his remains. This would be a sad end to Mr. Fossett.

 

Lawyer: 'Painful' decision necessary to resolve legal status of his estate

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21982275/

IMO some F16's got him.(ELT blown to bits, that's why it didn't work) Either premeditated or for venturing in to say Area 51. Anyway, he will never show up.

Again, RIP Mr. Fossett.

 

Oh please, save the conspiracy related stuff already! Area 51 is located in Lincoln County, Nevada and is 180miles away from Fosset's flight path from Yerington, NV to Bishop, CA.

There are 10,000 more plausible things to have happened than for him to have veered 180miles off course (due East) into the Area 51 airspace especially when considering his flight plan only called for him to fly ~160(due South).

LOL

 

Figure 4 hours of flight time at cruise speed, which for that plane is about 150 mph, so he could have gone about 600 miles in any direction. Cut that in half to 300 miles for a out and back trip. I do realize I am not taking into account the winds aloft or payload. He could have easily made it out there or close enough. Maybe he knew too much?

Steve Fossett Ventures Into Military Airspace - Shot Down & Covered Up?

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread302045/pg1

 

I estimated the distance incorrectly between his starting point and destination by 40 miles. The distance between Yerington and Bishop is only 119 miles. Then with some more digging he actually took off from 30 miles South of Yerington at an FBO called the Flying M Ranch. That would place him only 90 miles from his destination which was to be due South of Flying M Ranch. The terrain he flew over had many ravines and some dense trees.

The assertion that maybe he knew too much is a little silly when you consider that Mr. Fosset was a very smart individual and would not have anything to gain by flying into military airspace. You do realize that all controlled airspace is easily spotted and clearly marked on all advanced avionics, right? He would have been warned from controllers on the ground long before making a life threatening mistake.

You don't think you could be reading some of this other stuff a little too much do ya

 

He didn't have radio contact. But, F16's would fly close enough to warn him to get out or be shot down.

Anyway, that's why I suggested possibly premeditation. Mr. Fossett was connected with the government. I've stated right from the start that something seemed fishy about this story. And now that he has pretty much disappeared into the ether I don't see the possibility of him being blown up too far fetched. Regardless, we'll never know. But, I lay odds that he or his remains, ever shows up anywhere.