It looks like Steve Fossett of round-the-world in a balloon fame is missing after taking off in a single engine plane this morning. The NYT has an article about the SAR efforts in Nevada.

He is a well equipped outdoors person. In addition, Steve has financial means to acquire any state of the art survival equipments on the market. I think SAR efforts will find him within a week.

B.B.C. reports: No flight plane filed. They do not know where to look. I expect that they will calculate max possible range for the aircraft and go from there.

I rather fear that unless he has put the plane down somewhere or has parachuted he is very likely dead. I hope not, but this might be a case of familiarity breeding contempt with fatal results. Also: Given his age it's quite possible that he has had a heart attack or something at the controls.

Hopefully he will show up tomorrow alive and with a good story.

The story on CNN.com has some additional details. Like you said, he hadn't filed a flight plan. He didn't have a parachute, doesn't have his sat phone with him (he was only going for a "short flight," and apparently didn't think it was necessary), and the ELT on his plane isn't transmitting. All of that being said, this guy has been around the block a few times, including aviation emergencies, so hopefully all will turn out OK.

One disturbing quote from the NYT article:

"Major Ryan also noted that Mr. Fossett did not take along a satellite phone or other radio equipment 'he would normally take because he only intended to be gone a short while.'"

<SIGH!> Assuming he's survived whatever befell him, a 406 MHz PLB would have likely already resulted in his rescue. Always carry your PLB with you when you fly, ALWAYS!

Survival gear is not just for long distance cross countries...

Just to be clear, since many here are not pilots. There is no requirement to file a flight plan for a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flight in the U.S. That doesn't mean some sort of flight plan isn't a good idea. For example, I typically make sure Sue knows where I am going and all the rest of the usual details, but don't file with the FAA. She knows what to do if I don't call by the appropriate time.

But, again, no legal requirement involved, at least in the U.S. I cannot speak to other country's regulations.

It sounds like he had a case of "just driving to the corner store, can't be bothered to put on my seatbelt." I sympathize with that, and will shame-facedly admit to having done it every once in a while. If he's alive, I'm sure he's kicking himself.

I didn't note any discussion of bad weather, but perhaps I missed that.



I'm not sure I agree. A controlled landing, even in rough country, is more often survivable than not. More folks survive off-airport lands than die. I've spoken to many such survivors. Moreover, an aircraft like a Citabria with a conventional gear (tailwheel) and low stall speed would be optimum for such a landing. Steve is also an accomplished pilot with a lot of experience, furthering the odds in his favor.

OTOH, it is certified for aerobatics and stuff happens. <shrug>

In any case, I suspect we'll find out soon enough.

The area they're searching is hot and dry. The weather was okay, except for gusty winds.

"Steve has financial means to acquire any state of the art survival equipments on the market."

Only if he took it with him. It may be in the same bag with his sat phone. Maybe rich people also think "it won't happen to me". Neither money nor intelligence equals common sense.

He should have been able to bring a plane like that down as a glider if he had to, if he wasn't over rocks. He was supposed to be going to look at dry lake beds, and there's nothing better to land on unless the offroaders had created trenches in it while it was wet. In that case, it could have pitched over on its nose.

I hope there was water in the plane, because there's not much out in that area right now.

If he's lucky, he's alive and cussing not having more equipment with him.

Sue

Additionally, I would like to point out this portion of the article:

The “tracking device that can be tracked by satellite” would be the plane’s built-in ELT, and you (Doug) have made a point (in numerous locations) on your site of how notoriously unreliable ELT’s are at starting up after a crash. This is another big reason to always take your PLB with you on a flight (no matter how long or short).