Reuters Photojournalism
Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption
Ethiopia's salt trails
For centuries merchants have traveled to Ethiopia to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. Slideshow
Sponsored Links
Investigators blame turbulence for Fossett's crash
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sudden turbulence likely caused adventurer Steve Fossett to lose control of the small plane he was piloting and crash into a mountain in California in 2007, U.S. safety investigators said on Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Fossett, 63, a skilled pilot who was killed in the crash, said the force of powerful downward bursts of air probably exceeded the climbing capabilities of the single-engine plane.
Fossett vanished after setting out alone on a pleasure flight in September 2007 from the airstrip of hotel magnate Barron Hilton's ranch in Nevada. Despite a lengthy search, the wreckage and Fossett's remains were not discovered for more than a year in steep and heavily wooded terrain near Mammouth Lakes.
The small plane was destroyed by impact and fire, investigators said. Parts of the aircraft were scattered over a large area of the mountain at around 10,000 feet near the Nevada border.
(Reporting by John Crawley)
- Tweet this
- Link this
- Share this
- Digg this
- Reprints
Follow Reuters