New Delhi: The search area for missing millionaire Steve Fossett is expanding to more than 10,000 square miles. That's according to officials leading the search for the adventurer in Northwestern Nevada.
A number of law enforcement agencies are lending a hand in the search.
Nevada Dept Of Public Safety Trooper Chuck Allen said, “The Washoe County Sheriff's Office has provided its raven or its helicopter. Its primary purpose today is going to search the Black Rock Desert area, which is north of Gerlach, Nevada."
''As you can imagine, trying to make that needle stand out in a haystack that big is going to be a real challenge,'' Nevada Civil Air Patrol Maj. Cynthia Ryan said on Thursday. ''It's going to be frustrating for a lot of people who were hoping for results early on.''
Ten airplanes and helicopters made repeated passes over a search area known for its 10,000-foot (3,048-meter) peaks, strong winds and unrelenting harshness.
Despite the intensive search, there have been only a few false leads and no signals from the emergency locator beacon aboard Fossett's plane.
The best hope was that the adventurer used his long-proven survival skills to stay alive, rationing the food and water that was in the plane.
The search for the 63-year-old aviator has captivated attention worldwide because of Fossett's past exploits and his connection to British billionaire Richard Branson, who has bankrolled many of Fossett's missions.
Fossett has set 116 land and air records, including becoming the first person to circle the globe in a balloon solo and the first to do so in a plane alone without refueling. Many of his pursuits also have ended in failure, requiring costly and daring rescues.
Fossett was searching for dry lake beds to use for a planned attempt to break the land speed record when he disappeared.
The expansion of the search Thursday suggested that rescuers have few clues about which direction Fossett was flying when he took off on Monday from a private airstrip owned by hotel mogul Barron Hilton.
(With agency inputs)
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