Teams dramatically expanded their search for world-famous adventurer Steve Fossett to encompass 25,900km2 of rugged mountains and desert after nearly four discouraging days yielded no trace of his single-engine plane.
"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 Major 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 3,000m 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 on 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.
Fossett did not file a flight plan, which is not unusual for pilots of small airplanes.
The terrain -- a mix of bare desert playas, ravines and mountains -- makes the search tough.
The sense of urgency to determine where Fossett went was evident on Thursday when authorities began using sonar to search Walker Lake, about 24km northeast of the private ranch where Fossett had been staying. They hoped to rule it out as a possible crash site.
The Nevada National Guard also was using night flights equipped with thermal imaging systems. The search could last for weeks, Ryan said.
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