Steve Fossett – Plane Wreckage Found in California Mountains near Mammoth Lake

News is now reporting that the wreckage found near Mammoth Lake, California is indeed from the plane of Steve Fossett who has been missing for over a year.  On Monday hikers found an ID belonging to Fossett, some cash, and on Tuesday a jacket.   No body has been found as of Thursday October 1 but some believe that animal scavenging combined with the long time frame make it unlikely his body will be recovered.

Fossett’s disappearance led to one of the largest search and rescue efforts of the past several years, where even internet satellite imagery was scanned by thousands of volunteers in an effort to find signs of Fossett or his plane after he flew from Barron Hilton’s ranch in Nevada on a day trip to scout the area for dry lakes.

The wreckage was found about 125 miles south of the ranch in the mountains near Mammoth Lakes.   The fact that this area is wooded and was not a major focus area of the search may explain why the plane was not located in the initial search efforts.