Area 51 strikes again

I have a confession to make: I am a reluctant conspiracy theorist.

No matter how much I try to prevent myself from being drawn into some of the more bizarre theories of undercover operations, I still gravitate like a moth to a flame to the question: "What if?"

Perhaps it's a side effect of being in journalism - where the most unbelievable examples of plotting are exposed to be true - or perhaps I am naturally suspicious. Whatever the reason, there are some situations which are simply unbelievable.

Take for instance the case of aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett. I don't think there is a plot behind his initial disappearance; nevertheless, the world's failure to recover him or traces of his plane has me sceptical.

For those of you who don't know the story, the multiple-record-making and -breaking Fossett and his plane went missing on 3 September, "somewhere" in the Nevada desert.

Having survived several treacherous scenarios, why has Fossett not yet emerged dehydrated but breathing?

Kimberly Guest, senior journalist, ITWeb

At the time, he wasn't on one of his death-defying attempts; instead he is understood to have been scouting the region for possible sites to challenge the land-speed record.

In the 24 days since Fossett's disappearance, at least six old aircraft have been found; however, there has not been even the slightest sniff of Fossett's plane.

Two days ago, however, the Associated Press reported that US Air Force experts had found what "could be" Fossett or his tracks near Death Valley. Renewed searches will take place over the weekend, said the report.

Of course, Fossett's plane was equipped with one of those emergency beacons that are supposed to go off in the case of an accident. However, according to reports, this essential piece of equipment appears not to have done its job.

Additionally, people around the world have flocked to their PCs to help in the search.

Sir Richard Branson, a long-time friend of Fossett, kicked off the initiative by speaking to the guys at Google Earth to facilitate scrutiny of their satellite pictures. Amazon followed suit, setting up a Mechanical Turk project, where volunteers could look at the satellite imagery from Google Earth and mark any points of interest for follow up.

Despite Wired News reporting on 11 September that up to 50 000 people had got involved in the online search, nothing substantial appears to have resulted from these efforts.

As I've followed this story, my heart has gone out to Fossett's friends and family - I can think of nothing worse than having someone close to me disappearing in such a fashion.

Nevertheless, the depth of my compassion is fast being surpassed by the questions that keep niggling in the conspiratorial part of my brain. For instance:

* How is it that one the world's most renowned aviators could go missing on a seemingly routine flight?

* Having survived several treacherous scenarios, why has Fossett not yet emerged dehydrated but breathing?

* How is it that so many people scouring the region have been able to find old aircraft and not the relatively new, shiny aircraft flown by Fossett?

* Given that the Nevada desert is also home to Nellis Air Force Base - and other secret military bases according to conspiracy theorists - how accurate has the US allowed Google Earth's pictures to be?

* Could Fossett have strayed into the restricted air space around these bases and been shot down? If so, would the US military try to cover it up? (Ok, so the second question is a no-brainer.)

* Has Area 51 - situated in southern Nevada, owned by the US Air Force and subject of countless alien-based conspiracy theories - struck again?

Am I the only one who thinks this whole thing is a little dodgy? Should I track down Sandra Bullock for tips on how to avoid those who would rather not have the truth emerge?

All I know is that something does not feel right here. Barring the return of Fossett with a story of how he survived the desert, I will never truly believe there isn't something more to this tale. In the meantime, I'm logging on to Google Earth to see just how close you can get to the military bases and how consistent these visuals are with the surrounds.