New lead in the Steve Fossett disappearance mystery?

Adventurer Steve Fossett (pictured) has been missing since September 2007.

Fossett was last seen taking off in a blue-and-white Citabria Super Decathlon from the Flying M Ranch in rural western Nevada. Below is a 3-view of a Super Decathlon.

Fossett, 63, has not been seen or heard from since departing from the Flying M Ranch more than one year ago. He was on a short recreational flight and was to return by noon so he and his wife Peggy could leave Nevada on a private jet.



The Flying M Ranch is an exclusive retreat owned by hotel magnate William Barron Hilton.

Suspecting that Fossett had crashed his plane a massive search ensued. Several aircraft were involved in the search.

Fossett was never found and has been declared dead.

Why was it so hard to find the possible wreck of Fossett’s plane?

An ABC report in September, 2007 said:

Northwestern Nevada is a desert full of stuff — mining junk, old cars, bullet-riddled refrigerators, everything that you can possibly imagine. When you're looking, it's hard to determine from 1,000 feet what it is you're looking at. Fossett's plane could easily be hidden by trees in some remote valley.

The Citabria Decathlon has a range of 563 miles.

= = = = = U P D A T E = = = = =

Items possibly belonging to missing aviator Steve Fossett have been found by hikers in a remote area of California more than one year after his mysterious disappearance.

A hiker in a rugged part of eastern California found a pilot's license and other items possibly belonging to Steve Fossett, the adventurer who vanished on a solo flight in a borrowed plane more than a year ago, authorities said Wednesday.

The number on the pilot license in a photograph sent to the Federal Aviation Administration matches the number on the pilot certificate the agency has on file for Fossett, spokesman Ian Gregor said.

The hiker, Preston Morrow, said he found an FAA identity card, a pilot's license, a third ID and $1,005 in cash tangled in a bush off a trail just west of the town of Mammoth Lakes on Monday. He said he turned the items over to local police Wednesday after unsuccessful attempts to contact Fossett's family.

More information here.