Fossett has excellent chances based on experience and skill. That he was checking out dry lakes is a plus in case of engine failure because of the possibly benign nature of landing there.

On the other hand, if he were doing something like rolling the wheels on the dry lakebed to test it or was flying very low he could have encountered ruts, mud, birdstrike or other hazards.

That there is no ELT signal but no one has seen a plane shape on a dry lakebed suggests to me that the plane is upside down and the ELT antenna is ripped off and perhaps he's pinned so he can't remove the ELT for use. Seems very unlikely that he just flew into the side of a hill for some reason.

As time goes on things look much worse.

C'mon Fossett - show us how to survive it.....