Errant Pilot Goes Searching On His Own

Two weeks after millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett went missing during what was to be a short flight over western Nevada, Civil Air Patrol crews ponder what more may be done in their search... while others, perhaps, are a tad overzealous in their efforts to locate the missing pilot.

Nevada's Record-Courier reports the pilot of a small plane, acting independent of organized efforts, buzzed over a search area near Mina, NV Saturday -- prompting the FAA to establish a Temporary Flight Restriction in the area.

The man told CAP officials he hoped to collect a $10,000 reward for finding Fossett offered by youchoose.net The man apparently did not know the reward was for YouChoose members, scanning Google Earth images online.

Meanwhile, ground crews searched an area south of Walker Lake and northwest of the Wassuk Mountains, in the general vicinity of the Flying M Ranch -- from where Fossett took off on his ill-fated Labor Day flight, as ANN reported.

Nine CAP aircraft flew 13 sorties Saturday from Minden Airport, according to CAP spokeswoman Major Cynthia Ryan. The Nevada National Guard has four helicopters assisting in the search, as well as a C-130 Hercules outfitted with advanced imaging sensors.

For now, search crews remain focused on rescuing the missing adventurer... but the Associated Press reports that may change Monday, when officials with the National Guard, CAP and state emergency offices are scheduled to meet to assess whether to continue full-scale operations under the auspices of a rescue mission... or to shift focus to recovery efforts.

To date, CAP pilots have logged 531 flight hours, flying 213 sorties, in the search for Fossett. Many planes involved have accumulated over 100 hours, Ryan said.

FMI: www.cap.gov