Bones Found Near Crash Site Confirmed Fossett's 129
Trip6 writes "Bones found near the wreckage of the plane flown by Steve Fossett when he disappeared last fall have been confirmed to be Fossett's by DNA analysis. The NTSB is still investigating the crash. Fossett may have been searching for a place to break the land speed record, his next quest."
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
There's no way.... (Score:5, Informative)
There's no way he was looking for a land speed record location near there. It's one of the most mountainous areas in the country. he may have started in the flats of Nevada, but he went over one mountain range and was skimming the peaks of another when he went down.
I backpacked in and camped about 5 miles north of that spot last year at Thousand Island Lake. He crashed at 10,000 feet up, which is nearing the limits for a small plane with unpressurized cockpit. If you make a wrong move and don't manage your energy right, you're dead, and there's nowhere to land safely. Likely it was too late by the time he realized he was in it too far and wasn't going to get back out.
The scenery up there is spectacular though, about a mile from his crash site is the Minarets and Minaret Lake, one of many alpine lakes that dot the Sierra range. There are backpacking trails nearby, but not on that particular very steep mountain side.
Re:Emergency transmitter didn't work (Score:3, Informative)
He was dead on impact. Wouldn't have helped, except that it might have prevented him from being eaten.
Re:Sad news. (Score:3, Informative)
You don't need CO.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/23/1016843080716.html [theage.com.au]
Re:Sad news. (Score:3, Informative)
given his altitude, if he was not wearing an oxygen mask or in a pressurized cabin, he may have simply fell asleep.
It's incredibly easy to lose consciousness at the altitude he was as if you are not vigilant at conserving your personal energy... In fact at 10,000 feet it's plain old stupid not to be wearing an air mask in that plane.
Re:most deadly air disaster (Score:3, Informative)
one of the planes taking part in the collision was already airborne at the crash point.
Re:Sad news. (Score:4, Informative)
No, they occur when the plane ceases flight.
Re:Sad news. (Score:3, Informative)
10,000 isn't THAT bad. Most people are fine at that altitude. By regulations you're not expressly required to use supplemental oxygen until 14,500 feet. You do have to use it however if you go above 12,500 feet (but less than the 14,500 ft mark) for more than 30 minutes.
Typically, FAA regulations are actually very well worded, and most good pilots tend to heed them very well. I don't think hypoxia was an issue here.
Re:Sad news. (Score:3, Informative)
That's been extended as of around June, I think. Third-class certificates now last 60 calendar months if the person is under 40. The change is retroactive, so if you're two years into your 36-month certificate, you're now two years into your 60-month certificate.