US adventurer Steve Fossett has landed his balloon in the Australian outback after a record-breaking around-the-world solo flight.

The craft came down near the Australian outback town of Birdsville, in Queensland state, according to a member of his ground crew.

"This was a tough night. I had severe turbulence earlier in the evening. In fact I had my parachute on in case I had to jump," Mr Fossett said via satellite phone to reporters at a news conference at his mission control centre in St Louis, Missouri.

His landing comes just hours after his website reported he had to put out a fire on board his balloon.

Steve Fossett's next stunt may be flying a glider into the stratosphere

On Tuesday, the 58-year-old Chicago stockbroker became the first person to fly solo in a balloon around the world, when his craft crossed east of 117 degrees longitude, off the coast of Australia, after more than 13 days aloft.

Since then, he had been trying to land, but the weather and the harsh terrain made things difficult.

Close call

The last few hours before his landing were "very dangerous", Mr Fossett said.

On his website earlier on Wednesday, he described a close call in the air above Australia.

"Just 20 minutes ago a burner hose fitting came loose and a fire immediately started," Mr Fossett said in an e-mail posted at 1500 GMT.

"A high pressure propane fire on board is one of my greatest fears. Fortunately I was awake and I instantly dove for the tank shutoff valves."

He said he was able to remedy the problem, but had to climb outside the gondola of his balloon, called Spirit of Freedom, to do so.

Mr Fossett also reported a "rock and roll ride" above a natural gas field at 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) that forced him to climb to 8,000 feet (2,438 metres).

He added that he would be "really nervous until I can get this balloon on the ground at sunrise".

Sixth time lucky

Mr Fossett's record-breaking achievement closes the chapter on a personal marathon which began a decade ago.

The trip began June 18 in western Australia, and it took him just 13 days, 12 hours,16 minutes and 13 seconds to circumnavigate the globe.

He then had to drift for two more days in order to find a place to land.

It was the sixth attempt at such a flight for Mr Fossett, who has come close to death in his previous attempts to break the solo circumnavigation record.

He sounded calm when he called his mission control from the finish line on Tuesday, saying simply: "It is a wonderful time for me."

"It is hard to describe the feeling that I have now," the 58-year-old tycoon told a press conference via satellite phone. "I am just so happy."

Mr Fossett completed the circumnavigation during darkness, after covering nearly 32,000 kilometres (20,000 miles) around the southern hemisphere.

During the flight in the silvery balloon, Mr Fossett often hurtled along at speeds up to 322 km/h (200 mph), at an altitude more familiar to jetliners.

The weather has mostly been kind, though the balloon was caught in a dangerous "yo-yo phenomenon" near the Andes when the craft went into a series of uncontrollable leaps and dives.

Mr Fossett is said to be already planning his next adventure - flying a glider up to the stratosphere 18,288 metres (60,000 feet) above southern New Zealand. He could launch that attempt later this month.

The irrepressible adventurer already holds world records in ballooning, sailing and flying airplanes.

He also swam the English Channel in 1985, placed 47th in the Iditarod dog sled race in 1992 and participated in the 24 hours Le Mans car race in 1996.

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