Bones found near Fossett's plane

US investigators say they have found what appear to be two large human bones near the crash site of Steve Fossett's plane in eastern California.

His trainers and driver's licence were also found, and both showed evidence of animal bite marks, police said.

The millionaire adventurer was 63 when he disappeared in September 2007 while on a solo flight from a Nevada ranch.

His plane was located earlier this month after a hiker handed items belonging to Mr Fossett to police.

DNA test results on the bones - which were found on Wednesday 0.5 miles (0.8km) east of the crash site - are expected within a week. Click here to see a map of the area

Similar tests on bones discovered near the site earlier this month found them to be not human.

Remains found

Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said the bite marks on the items found reinforced a police theory that animals had dragged Mr Fossett's body from the crash site.

SOME OF FOSSETT'S RECORDS

• 1998/2002: Long-distance for solo ballooning
• 2001/2002: Duration for solo ballooning
• 2002: First solo round-the-world balloon flight
• First balloon crossings of Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, South Atlantic, South Pacific, Indian Oceans
• Seven fastest speed sailing titles
• 13 World Sailing Speed Record Council titles
• 2001: Fastest transatlantic sailing
• 2004: Fastest round-the-world sailing
• Round-the-world titles for medium airplanes
• US transcontinental titles for non-military aircraft

In pictures: Steve Fossett

Profile: Steve Fossett

"We talked to [Mr Fossett's] family and advised them that we possibly, most likely, found the remains of Stephen Fossett," CNN reported the sheriff as saying.

The adventurer's widow, Peggy, described the discovery of the bones as "another step in the process of completing the investigation into the tragic accident that took Steve's life".

Steve Fossett became the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon in 2002 and had about 100 other world records to his name.

For more than a year after he took off from the Nevada ranch there was no trace of him, despite an intensive search.

But earlier this month a hiker found identification documents belonging to the adventurer in a remote stretch of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

That find triggered an aerial search of the area and the wreckage was found about 0.25 miles (0.4km) away.

A ground team flown into the area by helicopter confirmed the identity of the plane.

Officials said the single-engine Bellanca Super Decathlon seemed to have struck the mountainside head-on, which would most likely have resulted in the pilot's instant death.

Most of the fuselage had disintegrated, with engine parts scattered over a debris field stretching about 150ft (46m) by 400ft (122m).

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