Steve Fossett News: Hikers Find Fossett’s FAA ID Cards Near Mammoth Lakes
Posted on October 1, 2008
Hikers in a remote area near Mammoth Lakes Sin California, have found items possibly belonging to missing aviator, Steve Fossett. Fossett mysteriously disappeared over a year ago. Some have even suggested Steve Fossett faked his death. Read more about Steve Fossett below as well as a video.
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Items thought to belong to missing aviator Steve Fossett have been found by hikers in a remote area of California more than one year after his disappearance, said police.
Mammoth Lakes Police Department chief Randy Schienle, told CNN that items such as an identity card bearing Fossett’s name had been handed to authorities after being discovered on Tuesday.
“They found some miscellaneous ID and actually some cash in the area, and the ID has the name of Steve Fossett on it,” Schienle told CNN.
“We’re not certain that it belongs to Steve Fossett but it certainly has his name on the ID which are some miscellaneous pilots and/or aircraft licenses.”
The identity cards didn’t have Fossett’s photo on them and the hikers did not find any evidence of plane wreckage near the items.
“We found no wreckage. We have found a sweatshirt in the area as well. And it’s certainly been out in the area for some time as it’s quite faded,” Schienle told the network.
Police are now planning to carry out searches by land and air of the area where the items were recovered. Schienle did not say if they thought searchers expected to find Fossett’s plane in the area.
“All I know is we have this ID. It seems to have been outside there for a while, because the ID itself is well weathered as well,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re anywhere near a potential wreckage or not.”
Steve Fossett has not been seen since he took off from a private airfield on what was supposed to be a brief solo flight on September 3, 2007.
Since that date, there has not been a trace of Fossett, 63, even after a massive search of the area where he was thought to have disappeared.
A multi-millionaire who dealt in stocks in Chicago, Steve Fossett had set dozens of world records in sailboats, gliders and even hot-air balloons.
Fossett made the first solo nonstop, non-refueled circumnavigation of the world in 67 hours in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. In 2002, Fossett was the first person to fly solo around the world in a balloon.
An Illinois judge declared Fossett legally dead at the request of his widow in February, who issued a recent statement that there were “no further plans for additional searching.”
Fossett’s iconic status and the mysterious disappearance, have brought to mind the missing female aviator, Amelia Earhart, who went missing in 1937.
There have been many conspiracy stories surrounding the disappearance of Steve Fossett. Some seemed to think Fossett had faked his death.
However Fossett’s close friend and fellow adventurer Sir Richard Branson has rubbished the speculation. “If it were true, I’d be the happiest man ever,” Branson told media earlier this year.
“I would love to see Steve alive and living somewhere with a beautiful lady. I’m absolutely sure that it’s absolutely bollocks.”
We will keep you posted on Steve Fossett news as it becomes available.
Images: PR
Source: news
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