Balloonist Steve Fossett came back to earth with a thud today, ending his record-breaking solo flight around the globe in a dusty riverbed on a huge Australian cattle station.
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The
Spirit of Freedomflies along the South Australian coastline. Photo: Reuters
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After years of trying to break the record and five previously failed attempts, a relieved Fossett said he planned no more long-distance balloon trips - though he does plan to try to fly a glider near the edge of space.
"I think the balloon flights have been the most dangerous thing I have ever been involved in," the weary American said after landing on the Durham Downs cattle station in Queensland state.
"I am enormously relieved to have the balloon project done. Finally I have [done] the first solo and I don't have to expose myself to that
danger," Fossett said.
The balloon's closet-sized capsule hit the earth with a thud and was dragged for several minutes along the riverbed with Fossett unable to complete deflation of the giant balloon.
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Steve Fossett waves as he floats at 23,000 feet, east of Sydney in this frame grab from an externally mounted video camera. Photo: Reuters
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After 14 days of flying, his silver
Spirit of Freedom
balloon came down around 1.30 a.m. Irish time 186 miles southeast of the outback town of Birdsville.
Ground crew ran to the balloon as it slowed and managed to pull a stuck rip cord to allow the remaining helium and hot air to escape.
Fossett crossed the finish line of his record-breaking flight when he passed 117 degrees east longitude over the Southern Ocean, the same longitude he began his trip from in far western Australia. He had flown nearly 19,500 miles around the southern hemisphere.
Fossett's fourth attempt at a round-the-world trip in 1998 almost killed him when his balloon was torn to shreds by lightning and plummeted 29,000 feet into the Coral Sea off Australia. He survived by cutting off fuel tanks to lighten his balloon and laying on his back in his tiny capsule.
His fifth flight in 2001 was forced down by storms in Brazil.
Fossett, a 58-year-old millionaire adventurer, had been stuck high above the earth overnight after gusty outback winds made it too dangerous to land Wednesday.
He averted a potential disaster a few hours before touching down, diving to shut off a propane fuel tank to douse a fire that broke out when a hose came loose. The mishap occurred following a rocky ride over a natural gas field in which burnoff flares created air turbulence, forcing him to ascend.