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NTSB ADVISORY
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
October 2, 2008
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NTSB INVESTIGATING CRASH IN CALIFORNIA
BELIEVED TO BE STEVE FOSSETT'S AIRCRAFT
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The National Transportation Safety Board has
dispatched investigators to California to investigate the
crash of a small plane that was found yesterday that appears
to be the aircraft piloted by adventurer Steve Fossett.
The Bellanca 8KCAB (N240R) has been missing since
September 3, 2007, when the pilot departed Yerington, Nevada
for a local flight. The wreckage was located at about
10,000 feet of elevation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in
the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, California.
Senior Investigator Georgia Struhsaker has been
designated Investigator-in-Charge for this accident. She
will be assisted by two other NTSB investigators and by the
Federal Aviation Administration. NTSB Chairman Mark V.
Rosenker is accompanying the team and will serve as
principal spokesman for the on-scene investigation. Terry
Williams is the press officer traveling with the team.
For news media, Mr. Williams may be reached on his
cell phone, 202-557-1350, when he arrives in California
later this morning.
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NTSB Media Contact: Terry Williams (in California)
(202) 557-1350
Press Office in Washington, D.C.
(202) 314-6100
Thing is, no body found and the damage was "so severe I doubt someone would've walked away from it," - quoting . Papers and stuff found somewhere else, seems to me all questions are still open.
Flight was reportedly to 'scout locations', so I'll go with a low-level stall & spin while looking at the ground instead of flying the plane.
Good enough ?
Probably not. I thought Fossett was looking for a possible site for a land-speed record. Somewhere flatter than the Sierra mountains would have been my choice.
I'll just put my foot in with what I already read elsewhere.
1) S F was not familiar with the Bellanca. 2) The area has "dead-end" valleys, literally. You get suckered in, and once you're in you can neither turn, nor get the climb rate that might get you over the ridge at the end of the "corridor". A colleague of mine got killed that way in a helicopter, so it sounds plausible.
Someone asked for speculation. Here's my ten pennyworth.
Rumours are rife that Fossett led a double life, had money problems, etc.
Hypothesis: Fossett baled out and left the aircraft to its own devices to crash. He had carefully left some semblance of evidence, ie licences, etc, to suggest an accident. Then with the help of an accomplice, was picked up in some remote location and was whisked away to an unknown destination.
I'm with you, but including a bad (parachute) landing... I think his body (at least what its left of it) may well be found, away from the crash site. A new "probable position" may now be defined, having in mind this possibility, and the man/woman in charged will have to decide for either a "ladder" or an "expansion square" search pattern, depending on several items. VF
Absolute mountain flying in that area, with all of it's turbulent accompanied wind shear and downdrafts. Calm in the morning, bumpy by noon.
10,000 ft is approx 85% of the performance service ceiling for the little Decathlon, not considering an even higher density altitude degrade during the warm September temperatures.
Someone asked for speculation. Here's my ten pennyworth.
Rumours are rife that Fossett led a double life, had money problems, etc.
Hypothesis: Fossett baled out and left the aircraft to its own devices to crash. He had carefully left some semblance of evidence, ie licences, etc, to suggest an accident. Then with the help of an accomplice, was picked up in some remote location and was whisked away to an unknown destination.
Probably not. I thought Fossett was looking for a possible site for a land-speed record. Somewhere flatter than the Sierra mountains would have been my choice.
To intentionally bail out over the known hazards of a rock and tree infested forest area, would be an un-calculable life gamble for the most desperate.
The area has "dead-end" valleys ... and once you're in you can neither turn, nor get the climb rate that might get you over the ridge at the end of the "corridor
If this is the case it should be evident from the position of the wreck and the nature of the surroundings. If it is at the end of a dead end valley and too low then there can hardly be any other explanation.
