Jaunted

Steve Fossett / Adventure Travel / Light Aircraft / Bellanca Citabria Super Decathalon / Flying-M-Ranch-Map / → All Tags

Test Confirms Bones Found In California Are Fossett's

The human remains found last week by Madera County sheriff's deputies were indeed Steve Fossett's, a DNA test confirms. With the conclusive results, the mystery of what happened to the adventurer is finally coming to a close, after more than a year of searching, speculation and crowd-sourced satellite photo analysis.

Fossett's widow, Peggy, released a statement after the announcement was made:

I am hopeful that the DNA identification puts a definitive end to all of the speculation surrounding Steve's death. This has been an incredibly difficult time for me, and I am thankful to everyone who helped bring closure to this tragedy.

While there's still no official report on why Fossett's plane crashed, some news accounts say unpredictable winds in the mountains caused the Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon to slam into a granite wall. The NTSB will release its findings in the case next year.

Related Stories:
· DNA Links Bones to Fossett [AP, via Google]
· Bone Fragments Confirmed as Fossett's [IHT]
· California Sheriff Declares Search For Fossett Over [Jaunted]
· NTSB Investigating Newly Discovered Plane Wreckage [Jaunted]

[Photo of the crash site: Madera County Sheriff's Office]