The hunt for record-breaking US aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett came to a virtual standstill after Nevada state police searched in vain 98% of the ground that needed to be covered, AFP reported.
Two weeks after the adventurer's plane disappeared in the Nevada wilderness there are only two grounded aircraft on standby and "four or five" military helicopters left in the hunt, Nevada State police spokesman Chuck Allen told AFP.
The search area covered 20,000 square miles (52,000 square kilometers) of rugged mountain terrain.
Fossett, 63, is known for his penchant for world records, including for the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth as a sailor, solo balloonist and solo airplane pilot.
Over the past two months, he has been preparing his attempt to best the land speed record in Nevada.