Steve Fossett conspiracy theory

[beaky]

I still don't understand why they're not searching any of the lakes (and rivers?).  :-?

Maybe they're worried they'll find six more wrecks underwater...  ::)

[Fozzer]

[quote][quote]The only valid point in that entire article is that there's no evidence showing he's dead.

[Hagar]

The only valid point in that entire article is that there's no evidence showing he's dead.  I doubt he faked his own death, but it is indeed possible that he's alive (seen the movie Cast Away?  4 years on an island...)

The USA is a big honkin' island, then.

As I mentioned earlier, his intended route was from the far Western border of Nevada, (near Reno), directly to Sacramento on the Eastern border of California, a distance of only approximately some 50 - 75 Nautical Miles....

...but over the extremely rugged and dangerous Sierra Nevada Mountain range in between, and no way to avoid it!... ...!

Reports vary but I understand that he didn't tell anyone where he was going, not even his wife or the owner of the aircraft. Surely that is the important point. There would have been a far better chance of finding him if the search teams had some idea of where to look. I find it difficult to believe that a pilot of his experience would not have told someone if he intended doing anything more than a brief local flight - but then he was only human & prone to the same mistakes as anyone else. Nobody seems to have mentioned that the aircraft he was flying was a Bellanca Super Decathlon which is a popular aerobatic type so it's quite possible that's what he intended doing.

However, I don't think it would be difficult for someone in his position to disappear without trace if he wished to do so. Strange how these conspiracy theories only seem to involve famous or wealthy people. I wonder if there would have been this much interest or speculation about the disappearance of Mr Joe Bloggs. Even ordinary people fake their own deaths as this recent case proves. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2450263/Canoe-man-John-Darwins-dream-to-be-rich-led-to-faked-death.htmll

[Fozzer]

I remember reading this account at the time, describing the typical Territory in North Western Nevada/North Eastern California, and the various dangers and hazards to Pilots flying in the area...>>>

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/ ... ssing.html

Many US Military Pilots and their aircraft have been lost in the wilds of the Nevada Desert!

Paul...going to take another sim-buzz around there today...wish me luck.....!

...until he does a "John Darwin", I still reckon he and his aircraft are lying somewhere in Nevada......!

I would hate to think he has been winding us up for all this time?... ...!

[Hagar]

He could have gone in any direction as that article points out. There's no evidence that he was headed for Sacramento or intended flying over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Perhaps he was abducted by aliens.

[DaveSims]

Let me set a few things straight that have been brought up.  He was out flying around to scout out dry lake beds for a new record attempt.  He borrowed the Decathlon from a friend in order to do this, and it was supposed to have been a local flight, returning to where he took off.  He just never returned.

[H]

He could have gone in any direction as that article points out. There's no evidence that he was headed for Sacramento or intended flying over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Perhaps he was abducted by aliens.

So... you're entertaining the thought that he may reappear on Devil's Tower?

He just never returned.

We're not sure... the known facts are still up in the air.

8-)

[Hagar]

Let me set a few things straight that have been brought up.  He was out flying around to scout out dry lake beds for a new record attempt.  He borrowed the Decathlon from a friend in order to do this, and it was supposed to have been a local flight, returning to where he took off.  He just never returned.

Depends on which report you read. I copied the following from Steve Fossett's own website. http://www.stevefossett.com/ :

"11 September 2007 - Nevada, USA

It is now believed that Steve Fossett was unlikely to have ventured far afield (such as crossing the Sierra Nevada range), but that he was more likely to have been on a local pleasure flight - and that he probably was not surveying sites for the upcoming landspeed record project.
Based on Steve's known movements, plans and the aircraft's capabilities, the search is now primarily focused on a 30 - 50 mile radius of the ranch, with some members of the search team convinced he is even closer.

The aircraft's last confirmed position on Monday (3 September) at approximately 10:30 A.M. local time showed Steve west of Powell Canyon (south of Walker Lake and southwest of Hawthorne), proceeding east towards the canyon. This location is less than 30 miles SE from his point of departure / expected arrival. Steve was expected to return to the ranch around 11:00 - 11:30 AM. Although the Super Decathlon is capable of good performance at sea level, the predicted aircraft speed and climb rate must be adjusted down for the density altitude of this area in summer."

The fact is that nobody knows - except for the missing pilot himself.