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Steve Fossett Fatal Crash-Final NTSB Accident Report.       
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  Steve Fossett Fatal Crash-Final NTSB Accident Report. 
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Doug Robertson



Joined: 01 Nov 2005
Posts: 1751
Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:46 am    Post subject: Steve Fossett Fatal Crash-Final NTSB Accident Report. Reply with quote

The National Transportation Safety Board final accident report has been released. Use you Web search engine to find and read NTSB Identification SEA07FA277 on the results and analysis of the crash of N240R that carried Steve Fossett to his death. The aircraft was flown from the front seat on the fatal flight.

Much speculation over his survival for a time after the crash can be put to rest by the crash findings and analysis in the final NTSB report. Especially cogent are the findings of the crash forces, the consuming fire, the intensive front seat damage and the fact the aircraft carried two sets of seat harnesses for each seat, a five point aerobatic harness and a conventional lap and shoulder harness. No helmet or parachute was worn. The aircraft quick-release door was not jettisoned.

((The four photos of N240R on this website (sole web original photos of the aircraft) have received over 31,000 cumulative views at this writing)).

_________________
PP ASEL
Link to my photos- http://airport-data.com/photographers/Doug+Robertson:84/

   
Author Message
Doug Robertson



Joined: 01 Nov 2005
Posts: 1751
Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/012492.html

Federal safety officials stated Thursday 9 July 2009 that the air-crash that killed Steve Fossett, famed for setting 116 various world records, probably was caused by downdrafts that exceeded the ability of his aircraft to recover before slamming into a California mountainside at an elevation over 10,000 feet near Mammoth Lakes, California.

The aircraft he borrowed from Barron Hilton and flew from Hilton's ranch strip near Yerington, Nevada on 3 September 2007 was a 1980 Bellanca 8KCAB-180 Super Decathlon, N240R. Extensive searches failed to locate the crash remains until a hiker on 7 October 2008 found Fossett's belongings, including a pilot certificate, identification card and money. An aerial search then located the aircraft wreckage about a half-mile away.

After the wreckage was discovered, a re-review of FAA radar tracks revealed a track that ended about a mile northwest of the accident site. This radar track had been initially discounted as a ranch employee had reported seeing Fossett's aircraft in a different location at about the time of the radar track. It was later determined the employee's time estimate was off by about an hour.

Significant is the fact the radar track of the aircraft in it's first few minutes showed altitudes between 14,900 and 14,500 feet. The remainder of the track had no altitude information. Such altitudes are well above where aviator breathing oxygen should be used in flight, suggesting the possibility of sensory, motor and mental impairment of Fossett due to oxygen lack in his blood-hypoxia.

Based upon the National Transportation Safety Board investigation, it was concluded that the Bellanca was probably unable even at full power to climb out of what were likely strong downdrafts. Whether Fossett was physiologically impaired at the time due to hypoxia will never be known.

_________________
PP ASEL
Link to my photos- http://airport-data.com/photographers/Doug+Robertson:84/

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