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Still No Sign Of Missing Fossett

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By BRENDAN RILEY, The Associated Press

Published: September 8, 2007

MINDEN, Nev. - A squadron of 10 airplanes and helicopters began a fourth day Thursday of a frustrating search for missing millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, whose small plane disappeared over Nevada's rugged high desert.

'We're going to find this guy, but it's a big country,' Civil Air Patrol Maj. Terry Vanzant said.

Fossett disappeared Monday after taking off from a private airstrip to scout sites for an attempt at a land-speed record in a rocket-propelled car.

National Guard C-130s and helicopters with thermal imaging gear searched northwest Nevada on Wednesday but failed to find anything, Nevada Civil Air Patrol Maj. Cynthia Ryan said Thursday.

The search across more than 1,700 square miles has covered only a fraction of the territory that could be hiding the plane. Ryan said the total area was 10,000 square miles, and finishing the flyovers of the most likely landing spots could take another week.
Civil Air Patrol officials were concentrating on a 600-square-mile area but revised that Thursday to include the larger territory.

Fossett's friends and search leaders are confident the world-famous adventurer is alive. They note his experience climbing some of the world's best-known peaks, including the Matterhorn in Switzerland.

His plane, a Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, carried water and food, but its locator device had not sent a signal and an emergency wristwatch Fossett wore to signal his location had not been activated.

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