With night searches for Steve Fossett not bringing the sort of results officials had hoped for, they will be suspended, according to Maj. Cynthia Ryan of the Civil Air Patrol.
Ryan told reporters at a 3 p.m. press conference that the search for the famed aviator will be suspended at sunset and resume at dawn.
She said the Civil Air Patrol is in the search for the long term.
"We've never walked away from a search," she said.
In all more than two dozen aircraft from Minden and Bishop, Calif., are searching an area covering 17,000 square miles.
Rough calculations based on the range of the Super Decathlon Citabria Fosset was flying could put him anywhere in a 70,000 mile area of Nevada and California.
Members of Lyon County Search & Rescue are flying with aviators based out of the Flying M Ranch, where Fossett was last seen on Monday morning.
