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Bones Found Near Crash Site Confirmed Fossett's

Posted by kdawson on from the closure-and-rest dept.

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."

129 comments

  1. I was right! by Skiron · · Score: 4, Funny

    New World Record!

  2. Sad news. by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The mad died doing what he loved, flying a plane. I guess the lesson is that no matter how much experience a pilot has, flying is still a risky business.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      The mad died doing what he loved, flying a plane.

      I don't understand why that's sad.

    2. Re:Sad news. by RuBLed · · Score: 1

      Flying is risky but to negate that risk, we are provided parachutes that are neatly placed under our seats... oh wait...

    3. Re:Sad news. by Konster · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, he didn't die while flying a plane. He died while crashing a plane.

    4. Re:Sad news. by digitalchinky · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I suspect we will never know why his aircraft belted in to the side of the mountain in clear air - cloud cover was apparently much higher at the time, so visibility was good.

      I can well imagine he was incapacitated or dead before impact - the other possibility is suicide I guess.

    5. Re:Sad news. by jcr · · Score: 5, Informative

      I can well imagine he was incapacitated or dead before impact

      Could have had a CO leak into the cockpit, a stroke, a heart attack... Since it was so long after the crash the remains were found, we'll probably never know.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    6. Re:Sad news. by Konster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Clear air doesn't always mean safe air. Given his altitude, airframe icing may be a cause.

      Nor does experience mean the pilot will always make the best decisions...experience is the best teacher only if you always listen to it, combined with good judgment.

      I'd guess a mechanical failure of some sort. Carb door coming off and getting sucked into the manifold, bearing/crank/valve train failure, fuel delivery, whatever. Any number of problems that may arise while perhaps toodling around low and slow become huge almost unmanageable problems very quickly. The transition from aircraft to glider to lawn dart can be astoundingly quick and fully outside the bounds of any pilot to fix.

    7. Re:Sad news. by nmg196 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The vast majority of plane crashes occur while the planes are flying.
      Very few simply crash while they're sitting in the hangar - so he was still flying when he crashed I expect.

    8. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, aren't you clever.

    9. Re:Sad news. by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

      The vast majority of plane crashes occur while the planes are flying.

      Look, if you're going to make wild claims like that, I want to see some statistics to back them up.

      --
      I hate printers.
    10. Re:Sad news. by RuBLed · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What if he had a heart attack and died while flying the plane?

    11. Re:Sad news. by KeelSpawn · · Score: 1

      Any pilot holding a private pilot certificate or above has to have at least a valid and current 3rd class medical certificate to exercise private pilot privileges. Generally, pilots are healthier than the average crowd. While I agree that a stroke or heart attack might have been possible, they are not likely.

      --
      http://www.palmzone.net
    12. Re:Sad news. by KeelSpawn · · Score: 1

      Statistically, flying is no riskier (if not less) than driving your car to your local airport. Also, according to the NTSB, most aviation accidents are from pilot error as a result from complacency or negligence. So, some wouldn't call flying a risky business, rather flying is simply *less forgiving* to those who are negligent.

      --
      http://www.palmzone.net
    13. Re:Sad news. by jcr · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, I remember this crash, but I haven't heard of too many others like it.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    14. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Should always fly a twin when flying over an area where you can't land, so if you're engine fails you've got at least another

    15. Re:Sad news. by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Not that it's totally against what you wrote but most planes crash at start or landing, and not while actually flying as in "omg all engines failed and now we will drop 10.000 m."

    16. Re:Sad news. by ozmanjusri · · Score: 2, Informative
      Could have had a CO leak into the cockpit

      You don't need CO.

      http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/23/1016843080716.html

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    17. Re:Sad news. by Gordonjcp · · Score: 1

      The vast majority of plane crashes occur while the planes are flying.

      No, the vast majority of plane crashes occur when planes stop flying, or fail to begin flying in the first place.

      CFIT is mercifully uncommon these days.

    18. Re:Sad news. by digitig · · Score: 1

      The term is either "Controlled flight into terrain" or "Uncontrolled flight into terrain", depending on the cause of the crash. Either way, it's flight.

      --
      Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
    19. Re:Sad news. by peragrin · · Score: 1

      In other words we should give everyone a pilot's license and let gravity sort out the group?

      Darwin didn't see that one coming.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
    20. Re:Sad news. by Lumpy · · Score: 2, 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.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    21. Re:Sad news. by Konster · · Score: 1

      Nope.

      By stats, it's a lot safer to fly on an established huge jet airline that covers millions of miles in a year than : a private pilot with any experience flying a very small aircraft. By huge orders of magnitude.

      That you think by glancing at these figures and deducing flying is safe is hugely wrong. Flying in huge jumbo type jets run by mega corporations is safer than driving...probably.

      That by looking at stats for what amounts to scaffolding with wings versus tires...tires wins by a huge amount.

    22. Re:Sad news. by rikkards · · Score: 1

      Flying implies controlled, I suspect that even the couple moments before he crashed it wasn't controlled.

    23. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That may be so, but pilots that LOVE to fly and have substantial resources can usually scrape up a medical certificate as long as they can still see and walk around.

    24. Re:Sad news. by dougisfunny · · Score: 1

      What are mid-air collisions called? With other aircraft? Or crashes while taxiing? I'd imagine those are less common though....

      --
      This is not the funny you're looking for.
    25. Re:Sad news. by g0dsp33d · · Score: 1

      Then he still "crashed", you insensitive clod.

      --
      lol: You see no door there!
    26. Re:Sad news. by Skidge · · Score: 1, Funny

      Maybe you should start wearing parachute pants.

    27. Re:Sad news. by digitig · · Score: 1

      What are mid-air collisions called? With other aircraft?

      "Mid-air collisions". See the bit about TCAS in this report

      Or crashes while taxiing? I'd imagine those are less common though....

      Don't know. The incident that springs to mind was the Tenerife crash in 1977, but I'm not aware of any usual terminology for that sort of incident (there can be a "usual terminology" for a highly unusual accident, because the folks managing safety will still talk about what they're working to avoid, but most of my experience is en-route or take-off/landing rather than ground movements).

      Anyway, for aviation safety purposes,
      flight is defined (in as slightly circular fashion) as being "between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight, until such time as all persons have disembarked". The pedant in me wants to rewrite that as "between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight, until such time as no living persons remain on the aircraft" -- I don't like termination (sorry!) conditions that may never be met.

      --
      Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
    28. Re:Sad news. by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Trouble is, that doubles your chance of engine failure.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    29. Re:Sad news. by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 1

      From what I've heard, a twin engine plane is harder to fly. Even more so if you have a failed engine, the engine is so far off to one side that if you can manage it, it's tighter margins.

      Not only that, a single engine plane can sail a good distance without an engine.

    30. Re:Sad news. by bigsteve@dstc · · Score: 2, Funny
      All right ....

      98.4% of plane crashes occur while the planes are flying.

      Happy now?

    31. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Athletes have heart attacks. It is possible. And it can be likely. Pilots aren't magically exempt from medical problems. Really.

    32. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps he died during the flight and eventually plane crashed? Who knows!

    33. Re:Sad news. by barzok · · Score: 3, Informative

      The vast majority of plane crashes occur while the planes are flying.

      No, they occur when the plane ceases flight.

    34. Re:Sad news. by WED+Fan · · Score: 1

      98.4% of AC's didn't get the GP joke. Further, it's a known fact that most (75.3%) AC's don't believe that 92% of statistics are made up on the spot.

      --
      Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
    35. Re:Sad news. by PalmKiller · · Score: 1

      I was flying with our old company pilot once, I was in the co-pilot seat of a twin engine beachcraft baron.. He said hit this auto-pilot button if I die, get on the radio and tell them what happened and that it will land at atlanta airport and you have no control of it. He said he had a bad ticker and it was feeling jumpy that day, maybe its ok as long as the small plane has a self landing gps nav co-pilot system like ours did, or he had a bs exam...not sure which.

    36. Re:Sad news. by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      While true, there are a whole host a medical issues that wouldn't be caught during a 3rd class medical. They're also only required every 2 years (per 3 years if you're under 40). Problems could crop up between one and the next.

      Just one note too: though I'm pretty positive he was flying your private pilot privileges, a private pilot can allow has medical to lapse and still fly under sport pilot privileges. You have some restrictions there on what planes you can fly (mostly based on weight), but the older, and IMHO most "fun" planes like the J-3 Cub or Taylorcraft for example, are still fine. A lot of newer ones specifically built for it are fine under sport pilot rules too. Besides the actual choice in plane there is little you can't do under sport pilot rules that you can under private pilot rules.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    37. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The mad died doing what he loved, flying a plane. I guess the lesson is that no matter how much experience a pilot has, flying is still a risky business.

      -jcr

      If you mean "risky", like taking a shower is risky, then yes, it is.

      With the man's experience I am still betting on suicide or medical problem, not pilot error. Both of my guesses could have been very fatal for him if he was doing anything else.

      Yes, TV may make flying a plane look dangerous, but as a pilot I have to say that the point where it gets scary and dangerous is when the plane is in the hangar and the pilot now has to get on the road and drive to his destination.

    38. Re:Sad news. by tweak13 · · Score: 1

      Given his altitude, airframe icing may be a cause.

      Airframe icing is not possible without visible moisture. Since he was not on a flight plan he would not have been legally allowed to fly into a cloud, and if freezing rain was falling on the aircraft he'd be an idiot not to recognize it and turn around. Since I don't think he'd hang around in clouds for extended periods of time or be dumb enough to let freezing rain build up on the wings I highly doubt icing caused this crash.

    39. Re:Sad news. by Darth_brooks · · Score: 1

      You've never heard of "Hangar Rash" have you?

      --
      There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
    40. Re:Sad news. by Zarf_is_with_you · · Score: 1

      They have a Cream for that now.

    41. Re:Sad news. by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      And the vast majority of computers running Windows never suffer from a bsod. Because if it's done a bsod, it isn't running anything.

      What's more the majority of train derailments don't happen on rails. Otherwise they wouldn't be derailed.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    42. Re:Sad news. by MBGMorden · · Score: 2, 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.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    43. Re:Sad news. by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      Airframe icing maybe, but not carb icing. Carb icing has been known to occur in clear skies in temperatures as high as 70 degrees F. That said, carb icing, if noticed in time (the engine starts to run rough and lose power - I've had it start to build up plenty of times and it's easy to recognize), can generally be avoided by applying carb heat. Given his experience level though I doubt he would have missed the signs.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    44. Re:Sad news. by Firethorn · · Score: 1

      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.

      But was he at 10k feet? If he was looking for spots to break the land speed record, he should have been Especially seeing as how he was experienced at high altitude conditions with all his various stunts/record attempts, I find that losing conciousness due to altitude unlikely.

      My personal theory is that he might of had a stroke, which can come on quicker than a heart attack and disable the pilot sooner - leaving him unable to pilot or call on the radio/activate any emergency beacon. I think a heart attack to be less likely - it's both more predictable and can often be worked through - one private pilot actually LANDED while having one.

      Then again, it could have been engine related, but I figure he was a good enough pilot that he would have been able to bring the plane in more intact or at least set off some emergency notification equipment.

      --
      I don't read AC A human right
    45. Re:Sad news. by slacktide · · Score: 1

      Err, no. 8KCAB Decathalons have a Lyc AEIO-360-H1B engine. Fuel injected, no carb icing.

    46. Re:Sad news. by isomeme · · Score: 1

      Which reminds me of one of my favorite bits of bureaucratic terminology, Controlled Flight Into Terrain. That is, the plane was operating normally and the pilot was conscious and at the controls, but somehow an inconveniently placed cumulogranite cloud still managed to get in the way.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull.
    47. Re:Sad news. by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      Oops. Didn't know that. The only engines I've flown are the Cont. O-200, Lyc. O-235, and Cont. A-65. All had carbs so I'm just used to thinking in that mindset :).

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    48. Re:Sad news. by Martin+Blank · · Score: 2, 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.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    49. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As far as I know, the smart money is that he got into a dangerous situation when his airplane didn't have sufficient performance to bail him out.

      This happens all too often for pilots at high altitude in mountainous terrain. It's very easy to make a turn into a canyon which looks like it should be safe to fly in to, but is actually a death trap. The reason it's a trap is that many airplanes (particularly prop-driven planes powered by a piston engine which loses a lot of performance at high altitude) don't have the power required to climb out of the canyon before reaching its end, AND the canyon narrows too much for the plane to turn around. (It doesn't help here that planes need more space to turn at high altitude.) Thus, a simple navigation or judgement error can force a crash to happen at a later time.

      If he crashed in clear air, it's actually somewhat likely that he was (by then) aware that he was in trouble and was attempting a risky turn. (Or, perhaps, he was attempting to perform a controlled and survivable crash, which has worked for some pilots in similar situations in the past.)

    50. Re:Sad news. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think he died flying into the side of a mountain. I doubt that was what he loved to do.

    51. Re:Sad news. by GlueSniffinEd · · Score: 1

      Err, no. 8KCAB Decathalons have a Lyc AEIO-360-H1B engine. Fuel injected, no carb icing.

      Nope, the one I fly has an AEIO-320-E1B....you're thinking of the Super Decathlon, also an 8KCAB. But yeah, no carb icing with fuel injection.

    52. Re:Sad news. by digitalchinky · · Score: 1

      By all accounts he was in a slight climb under power at the time of impact, this doesn't bode well with icing. I have a pilots licence myself (since around 1990) so I know the drill on medical certificates and have experienced icing both of wings and carb - carb heat is just a lever away for any plane suffering that problem, wing icing is a little more problematic but solved (mitigated) often with just a change in altitude or diverting somewhere without visible cloud or rain.

      I used to belt around Canberra (Australia) in a decathlon doing aerobatics. Out toward lake George mostly. Fun times. Mostly somewhere between 2,500 and 7,000 feet. Tons of power. Not too hard to peg the meter at 4G for a while :-)

  3. Land speed record? by nacturation · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd say he possibly broke the speed landing record.

    --
    Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
    1. Re:Land speed record? by Konster · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nope. The record for a speed landing is still held by Beagle 2 which currently stands at a Mach 352 High Performance Landing.

    2. Re:Land speed record? by McWilde · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Possibly, but that certainly wasn't a world record.

      --
      Maybe
    3. Re:Land speed record? by maroberts · · Score: 1

      Possibly, but that certainly wasn't a world record.

      Yes it was - just not this world!

      --

      Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
      Karma: Chameleon

    4. Re:Land speed record? by evilviper · · Score: 1

      The record for a speed landing is still held by Beagle 2 which currently stands at a Mach 352 High Performance Landing.

      "It is not known for certain whether the lander reached the Martian surface; [...] It may have missed Mars altogether, skipped off the atmosphere and entered an orbit around the sun, or burned up during its descent."

      It's a big assumption that Beagle 2 reached the surface, and one not based on any evidence.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  4. Re:News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters. by dsanfte · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Slashdot's editors are merely experiencing gravitational time dilation due to their proximity to CmdrTaco's massive ego.

    Time is passing more slowly in their reference frame, so it takes longer to approve the stories.

    --
    occultae nullus est respectus musicae - originally a Greek proverb
  5. Emergency transmitter didn't work by zymano · · Score: 1

    If it had given a signal then he might have been saved.

  6. There's no way.... by PhantomHarlock · · Score: 4, 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.

    1. Re:There's no way.... by cheekyboy · · Score: 1

      Cessna Opperational limit 20000ft

      http://www.fsd-international.com/projects/C337/Manual/Checklists/Limitations.pdf

      I have been up at 10000ft, and felt just fine, same as skiing on snow at 7800ft.

      --
      Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
    2. Re:There's no way.... by PhantomHarlock · · Score: 1

      Except he was in a Bellanca Citabria. You can go higher, but you generally need oxygen above 12,500 feet or you start becoming an idiot.

    3. Re:There's no way.... by npsimons · · Score: 1

      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.

      I was going to say this, as I was on another search in the same area earlier this year, and I'm part of a MOUNTAIN rescue group. Sadly, I couldn't go on the Fossett search as I had other pressing duties (work sucks).

      --
      Nathan's blog
  7. Re:Emergency transmitter didn't work by PhantomHarlock · · Score: 2, Informative

    He was dead on impact. Wouldn't have helped, except that it might have prevented him from being eaten.

  8. Time to look at how the online search went by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Did the online search area cover the actual crash site?
    2. Did the online search have a recognizable picture of the crashed plane?

    1. Re:Time to look at how the online search went by MrNaz · · Score: 1

      Online search... Are you suggesting they could have found Fossett's remains faster by Googling for the crash site?

      --
      I hate printers.
  9. it's like in Star Trek... by rarel · · Score: 1

    ... Bones saying "It's dead, Jim"

    1. Re:it's like in Star Trek... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (on a serious note, glad to see this bring closure for his relatives.)

  10. RIP. by apodyopsis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sad (but predictable on /.) to see a lot of jokes already, so I'll be first to say commiserations to the family and RIP a pioneer.

    He died doing what he loved and always challenged his boundaries, I can admire that.

    At least the mystery is finally cleared up, the crash investigation can begin.

    1. Re:RIP. by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yea these jokes are in very bad taste. Whenever bones are found it is never a humerus matter.

      --
      I hate printers.
    2. Re:RIP. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I've never been a fan of the idea that joking is a sign of disrespect. I find one's ability to look to the lighter side of things during dark times to be admirable.

    3. Re:RIP. by nacturation · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sounds like he was flying with a skeleton crew.

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
    4. Re:RIP. by Carbon016 · · Score: 2, Funny

      No bones about it!

    5. Re:RIP. by sleeponthemic · · Score: 1

      Sad (but predictable on /.) to see a lot of jokes already.

      No, it isn't sad atall.

      I can't imagine what sort of grumpy shit you'd have to be to complain about people having a joke when you've shipped out

      It doesn't diminish any of his achievements to be positive and deal with adversity whilst maintaining your sense of humour (without being ghoulish).

      --
      I record my sleeptalking
    6. Re:RIP. by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Anyone else read the headline as "confirmed fossils"?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    7. Re:RIP. by minvaren · · Score: 2, Funny

      And yet, these bad jokes are just the tibia iceberg.

      --
      Big! Strong! Wow! Tada-O!
    8. Re:RIP. by Cowmonaut · · Score: 1

      How is that sad? Sounds like a few Wakes I've been to...

  11. Re:NTSB confirms: Steve Fossett is dead by MrNaz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yea but I won't believe it until Netcraft confirms it.

    --
    I hate printers.
  12. Re:Emergency transmitter didn't work by MrNaz · · Score: 1

    Yea, perhaps if the medics had arrived earlier they could have put Humpty Dumpty back together again too.

    --
    I hate printers.
  13. I knew it by ypctx · · Score: 1

    Bones.

  14. At least the mystery is over by Disco+Stu123 · · Score: 1

    It's sad but at least the body has been found to stop the mystery and rumour about him possibly doing a runner!

    1. Re:At least the mystery is over by maxume · · Score: 1

      He was rich. He could have had medical records altered to fit the corpse that he purchased, or maybe even had himself cloned.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    2. Re:At least the mystery is over by Disco+Stu123 · · Score: 1

      Don't you usually go to ground if you don't have any money!Or you're in debt?

  15. most deadly air disaster by Smivs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The vast majority of plane crashes occur while the planes are flying.

    Whilst the above is true, it's worth noting that the most deadly aviation disaster occured on the ground, at Tenerife's Los Rodeos airport where two 747s collided, killing 683 people.

    --
    Smivs on the intertubes!
    1. Re:most deadly air disaster by umghhh · · Score: 2, Informative

      one of the planes taking part in the collision was already airborne at the crash point.

    2. Re:most deadly air disaster by Pharmboy · · Score: 1, Insightful

      one of the planes taking part in the collision was already airborne at the crash point.

      And pulling up on the stick made the tail of the plane drag on the runway. I think that means he wasn't very "airborne".

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  16. Re:Why is this a Slashdot story? by ZERO1ZERO · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    wtf? I for one welcome our Fosset story posting overlords. We've already had a bunch of stories on this, it's nice to get the conclusion. As for the US election, is it even finished yet? I'm sure ther'll be time for it to appear on ./ front page. If you are that desparate, try google.

  17. Risky business? Depends. Medical probs? Unlikely. by KeelSpawn · · Score: 1

    I've noticed that some folks here are getting one thing outta this incident - that flying is risky. Statistically, flying is no riskier (if not less) than your driving your car to your local airport. What's more, according to the NTSB, most aviation accidents are from pilot (human) error as a result from complacency or negligence. So, a lot of people out there wouldn't call flying a risky business, rather flying is simply *less forgiving* to those who possess the mentioned traits.

    Also, to address the possibility of a heart attack or a stroke before Fossett's crash, any pilot holding a Private Pilot Certificate or above has to have at least a valid and current Class 3 Medical certificate from the FAA in order to exercise private pilot privileges. Hence generally, pilots are healthier than the average crowd. While I agree that a stroke or heart attack might have been possible, they are not likely.

    --
    http://www.palmzone.net
  18. They could rule out mechanical failure by Viol8 · · Score: 1

    The investigators will at least be able to rule in or out problems with the aircraft - unless theres been some very hungry aluminium chomping wildlife around that area recently!

  19. Re:Emergency transmitter didn't work by confused+one · · Score: 1

    Clearly you have not seen photos of the wreckage. If he was alive when the plane struck the mountain, he wasn't after it did.

  20. If by Googling you mean Google Maps... by denzacar · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ... then yes. That is almost exactly what the GP is referring to.
    With some Amazon's mTurk added over the Google layer.

    http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/09/geeks-spot-foss.html

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/373893/internet_users_aid_in_search_for_steve.html

    http://innonate.com/2007/09/09/is-this-steve-fossett-the-community-searches/

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  21. Re:Risky business? Depends. Medical probs? Unlikel by Alpha+Whisky · · Score: 5, Interesting

    All an aviation medical proves is that you were probably alive at the time of the medical. I knew a fellow pilot who died of a heart attack the day after getting his aviation medical renewed!

    --
    it's = it is

    its = belonging to it

  22. Mistake in headline by sleeponthemic · · Score: 0

    Fossett isn't a word. It's fossil.

    --
    I record my sleeptalking
  23. Bones Found Near Crash Site Confirmed Fossett's.. by Cloud+K · · Score: 1

    .. Recovery Team. In a statement, leader of the Fossett Recovery Crew said "Doctor McCoy was alive and well after the shuttle accident, and said that maybe scattering your atoms across space isn't such a bad idea after all".

  24. Bones... by g0dsp33d · · Score: 1

    Great show, but isn't it a little early for them to cover this? It will be nice to find out who did it though.

    --
    lol: You see no door there!
    1. Re:Bones... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is it called "bones" because of the girl?

  25. Re:Risky business? Depends. Medical probs? Unlikel by Hognoxious · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know someone whose dad was killed when his instructor flaked out. Turned out the guy had tried several doctors until one said he was OK.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  26. Re:NTSB confirms: Steve Fossett is dead by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 1

    Bah. Netcraft only confirms when things are dying. Sounds like Fossett's death didn't leave much time for Netcraft to even know about it, let alone confirm it.

    --
    My blog
  27. Re:Why is this a Slashdot story? by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 1

    1. This isn't a political news site, it's a geek news site. If you want politico.com, you know where to find it.
    2. That being said, sometimes Slashdot covers politics. Usually when something happens that directly affects tech, science, or the banning of ewoks. The election was never really covered here except to the extent of having discussions on the candidates views surrounding tech and science issues.
    3. If the editors decide to post a post-election story, they will. If not, they won't. In the end, does it really matter?
    4. Steve Fossett's disappearance and apparent death have been a source of discussion on here since the news of Fossett's plane coming up missing broke many months ago. Did you really expect that to change just because an election took place?

    Get a grip, man. It's okay.

    --
    My blog
  28. Bears, other animals ate him? by ctdownunder · · Score: 1

    No one has mentioned this, probably out of respect for the family. Since only a few remains were found and quite far from wreckage. In the name of science it would be cool to know from experts about what happens to carcasses in them there CA mountains, and if the altitude of the impact bars some type of animal activity.

    --
    The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
  29. Runway incursion by drerwk · · Score: 1

    Or crashes while taxiing? I'd imagine those are less common though....

    Runway incursion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runway_incursion

    Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft.

    My subscription to the NTSB Reported lapsed when I stopped flying http://www.ntsb-reporter.com/ but it is highly recommended reading for any pilot if you wish to learn from other's mistakes. I

    1. Re:Runway incursion by digitig · · Score: 1

      Not quite. A ground-crash could take place on a stand or taxiway, and wouldn't be a runway incursion, and a runway incursion need not lead to an accident -- in fact, most don't, most lead to suspension of movements whilst ATC shout things like "Will somebody get that ****** off the runway!"

      More precisely, a runway incursion is an incident, not an accident.

      --
      Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
  30. Is it just me... by DustyCase · · Score: 1

    ... or could Fossett have helped himself out by spending a relaxing evening with a good glass of scotch and Google Earth? I mean, sure, if I was him I would have an endless list of excuses to go out for a flight in my Citabria, but still... looking for salt flats? Please. Any place big enough to set a land speed record on will stick out like a sore thumb with consumer-grade remote sensing.

    1. Re:Is it just me... by Darth_brooks · · Score: 1

      Google Earth is good for seeing where salt flats are located, but not what condition they're in. A damp dry lake bed isn't very useful as a test track.

      Chuck Yeager had a humorous story in his autobiography about an argument he had with John Glenn. Glenn insisted that a particular salt flat was safe for use as an emergency landing site, while Yeager said he flown over the site in the past week or so, and knew the site was still damp and unsafe.

      So to settle the argument, he and Glenn take a trainer out to the salt flat with Glenn at the controls to do a "touch and go." In Yeager's words "we touched, but we sure as well didn't go." The airplane immediately bogged down in the mud, and wasn't moving even under full throttle. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence on the radio, Yeager said to Glenn "You may as well shut it off, you're not doing anybody any good."

      --
      There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
  31. Ouch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Never do that again.

  32. Turk by Zarf_is_with_you · · Score: 1

    Anyone know if this area was looked at through the Amazon's Mechanical Turk project searching for Steve Fossett?

  33. Re:World Records.... by stiggle · · Score: 1

    He was actually looking for a site to run the Land Speed Record car that he bought from Craig Breedlove. Now the Brits are starting on another car to beat their own record (and 1000mph)

  34. Nope. Most all plane crashes occur... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...as the plane STOPS flying!

  35. Re:Emergency transmitter didn't work by uberjoe · · Score: 1

    Was he delicious?

    --

    The days of the digital watch are numbered.

  36. Re:Plane crashes. by mlheur · · Score: 1

    More crashes occur on the ground than in the air. In fact, according to http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm 62% of crashes occur on the ground, they're just usually the least fatal.

    There's not a lot of risk in straight and level flight...

  37. A riddle by Locke2005 · · Score: 1
    Q. What was the last thing to go through Fossett's mind?

    A. The tail section of the aircraft.

    What?!? Too soon?

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  38. Re:NTSB confirms: Steve Fossett is dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But this parrot is alive!
    It has not met its maker.
    This is a live parrot. ....