US:Rescue aircraft and a helicopter were launched over Nevada's rugged terrain at dawn yesterday as the search for millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett entered its third day.
More than 14 aircraft from the US civil air patrol and national guard were expected to be deployed, scouring the brush, mountains and ravines for any sign of the Bellanca Citabria single-engine aircraft being used by Mr Fossett.
The search was refined overnight to 965sq km (600 square miles) of territory, down from 12,070sq km (7,500 square miles) on Tuesday.
Rescue workers were heartened by calmer winds that would allow search aircraft to fly at about 300m (982ft) above ground and close to mountains that rise to 3,048m (10,000ft). Winds gusting at 64km/h (40mph) on Tuesday prevented the mission from searching as intensely.
The search aircraft and helicopters could also draw on the help of infrared and other vision-enhancing equipment.
Mr Fossett took off from a Nevada ranch owned by the Hilton family at 9am on Monday.
He was expected back at the ranch, where his wife, Peggy, was also staying, by noon, and was carrying fuel for four or five hours' flying. When he failed to return that afternoon, the alarm was raised.
The search has been hampered by the fact that Mr Fossett (63), who set out on what his friends thought was a short routine flight, left no flight plan. There have also been no signals intercepted by rescuers that could lead them to him.
His aircraft is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) that sends out emergency signals in the event of a crash landing, but no such signal has been received.
If there were no crash landing, he would also be able to operate the tracking beacon manually.
Nor has there been any signal picked up from a watch Mr Fossett is believed to wear that also acts as a GPS location device.
Maj Cynthia Ryan of the civil air patrol said the search was like "a very large haystack, and an aeroplane is a very small needle".
But she added: "He's a savvy and methodical and determined pilot. I'd give him the highest odds." -