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.