anon for this-
A few months later, Fossett was legally declared dead.
Subsequent examination and DNA testing confirmed that the remains were those of Fossett.
A theory as to the cause of the crash that I remember seeing in the papers shortly after the remains was that a sudden and violent downdraft brought the plane down too quickly for Fossett to have a chance of recovery.
It is unlikely the cause of the crash will ever be determined with any certainty.