Adventurer Fossett faces fuel crisis in round-the-world bid

Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett has discovered a serious problem with the fuel system of his plane, forcing him to consider abandoning his quest to become the first person to fly solo around the world without refueling.

His project manager Paul Moore said the team were approaching a crucial decision time, following a review of flight data.

Fossett was over Japan in the early hours of today (NZT), facing a choice to land there or to leave Japanese airspace and set off toward Hawaii. Without a strong tail wind to power the GlobalFlyer across the vast Pacific Ocean, Fossett faces the potential disappointment of ending the flight short of his goal.

Fuel sensors in the 13 tanks onboard the single-engine jet differ from readings of how quickly fuel is actually burning during the flight, say Fossett's back-up team.