Strong wind might be behind US millionaire Steve Fossett plane crash

London, Jul 10 (ANI): The cause of late American millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett's plane crash two years ago might have been caused by strong wind and turbulence.

Fossett, who set more than 100 records during a thrill-seeking career, disappeared in September 2007, after taking off on a solo flight from a private airstrip at a Nevada ranch, reports Times Online.

The single-engine, two-seater plane had crashed near Mammoth Lakes, California, "following an inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane," the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released on July 9.

In addition to the downdrafts, air pockets that can pull a plane suddenly downward, causing turbulence, the NTSB said that high-density altitude and mountainous terrain contributed to the accident.

Despite a massive, high profile search of the rugged wilderness, no trace of Fossett's plane was found for more than a year until a hiker stumbled on identity cards belonging to the adventurer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in October 2008. (ANI)