Steve Fossett's plane possibly found, authorities say

Authorities may have found the wreckage of the plane that adventurer Steve Fossett was flying when he went missing last year.

"The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched investigators to California to investigate the crash of a small plane that was found (Wednesday)," the NTSB said Thursday in a statement.

Steve Fossett, who has been missing since September 2007, was declared legally dead in February, despite the lack of a body.

(Credit: Virgin Atlantic)

Fossett, who was flying a Bellanca 8KCAB, has been missing since September 3, 2007. He took off from Yerington, Nev., for a local flight. Investigators say they found wreckage at about a 10,000-foot elevation in the Sierra Nevada in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

There has been no word yet on whether a body was discovered. There were reports earlier this week that a hiker found some of Fossett's belongings.

Fossett was a successful businessman and world-class thrill seeker. He was the first balloonist to fly solo nonstop around the world and set 116 records in five different sports.

In November, Fossett's wife filed a petition to have the court declare him legally dead. Her request was granted in February.