Fossett claims record for closed-circuit flight

Adventurer Steve Fossett today said he had broken the record for flying farther than anyone departing and landing at the same spot in Kansas, travelling more than 25,000 miles in three days.

Fossett landed his lightweight experimental aircraft at Salina Municipal Airport a few hours ahead of schedule, at 5:06pm GMT, more than 74 hours after he took off from the same place.

Certification of the record could take two weeks to a year. Fossett said he flew about 25,300 miles in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.

The previous closed-circuit record of nearly 25,000 miles was set in 1986 by Richard Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

Fossett called the flight “a great satisfaction.”

He avoided problems with fuel and generators that had plagued two previous GlobalFlyer flights, but a brake malfunctioned, causing the plane to do a complete turn on the runway after it touched down.

Fossett said he became restless during his three days in the plane.