Chico Enterprise Record - Local News -
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Published on: 9/7/2005
Last Visited: 9/8/2005
Gene Hill, sheriff of Humboldt County, Nev., and a volunteer pilot involved in the search, said it's likely that only the aircraft's wings would be visible from the air, and may have been sheared off if it crashed.
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Hill said Grossman's plane had so-called "tundra" tires and was suited for landing in rough, confined areas - which the doctor was sometimes known to do.
He said he knew of one occasion where Grossman landed his plane on a sand bar in the Sacramento River and went fishing.The aircraft probably had enough fuel to fly for up to seven hours, and has good glide characteristics, Hill said.He said the plane would average about 100 nautical miles per hour.
Hill believes it's possible that Grossman tried to land the plane in a confined area, either by choice or out of necessity.