Terence Blacker: A generation that won't go quietly

It seems that Steve Fossett died an adventurer's death. During his 63 years on earth, he had sailed impossible voyages, broken records in hot-air balloons, swum the English Channel, climbed a few mountains, including the Matterhorn and Mount Kilimanjaro. Then, last September, while apparently looking for a site on which to make an attempt at the world land-speed record, he flew his plane into the side of a mountain in the Sierra Nevada, California. There have been various theories as to what happened. His single-engine aircraft was not designed to fly at heights. There may have been visibility problems. Now, with the discovery of the wreckage of Fossett's aircraft with human remains nearby, murkier claims have been made. Will Hasley, who helped Fossett write his memoirs in 2006, has spoken about a "subconscious death wish".... [read full story]