In pictures: Steve Fossett

Identification documents believed to belong to US adventurer Steve Fossett have been found a year after he went missing.

Previous extensive searches of the mountainous wildernesses between Nevada and California had drawn a blank.

The 63-year-old millionaire, pictured here with his wife Peggy, vanished after setting off from a private ranch in Nevada on a solo flight.

The veteran pilot set 116 world records in five different sports, most of which still stand.

In 2006, he broke the record for the longest flight, spending nearly 77 hours in the air and covering more than 40,000km (25,000 miles).

A year earlier, he made the first solo non-stop flight around the world without refuelling in 67 hours.

As skipper with a 13-member crew, he beat the round-the-world sailing record in 2004, completing the voyage in 59 days and nine hours.

He is perhaps best known for becoming the first person to fly around the world in a balloon in 2002, covering 31,266km (19,428 miles).

His friend Sir Richard Branson described him as "a tough old boot", having cheated death a number of times during his adventures.

He had just been inducted into America's National Aviation Hall of Fame when he disappeared.