About a month after Steve Fossett disappeared over the Nevada desert, the Civil Air Patrol suspended its search for the millionaire adventurer and pilot.
Fossett disappeared Sept. 3 when he flew from a private airstrip in Yerington, Nev., in a Bellanca Decathalon and failed to return from what was supposed to be a three-hour flight.
Hundreds of people joined in the search, some online using Internet satellite technology, others on foot, horseback and by air. In addition to local law enforcement and search and rescue organizations, the Civil Air Patrol flew 629 sorties over the hostile terrain.
Hopes were raised the last weekend of September when the Air Force released information about radar tracks that were thought to be from Fossett’s aircraft. The trails led to an area southeast of the airstrip in Yerington.
An exhaustive search was launched in the area, which measured 100 square miles, but it failed to locate the famed aviator.
Authorities say they will continue to follow up leads as they appear. In the meantime, private search efforts by Fossett’s close friends and family continue.