Five months after his plane went missing in Nevada, Steve Fossett has officially been declared dead.

Photo of Steve Fossett.

The 62 year old business tycoon had a zest for life and was known for his adrenaline packed hobbies. He flew around the world - solo- in a balloon, swam the English channel, climbed mountains and even completed the Ironman Triathalon.

Fossett was last seen after taking off in his single engine plane near Yerington, Nev. He was headed towards Bishop, California. Search parties looked for him for a nearly month using planes and helicopters covering 20,000 square miles.

A judge declared Mr. Fossett dead at his widow's request. This decision will take his estate out of limbo. Peggy V. Fossett's lawyer Michael LoVallo said "It was very sad and at first she hoped and sort of envisioned him walking down the road the next day with another story to tell. But as the days went on, she realized it wasn't going to happen as it had on other occasions when he'd had close calls."

Now there is legal closure, but what happened to Steve Fossett still remains a mystery.

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