Steve Fossett took off from a private air strip in Nevada Monday morning in a single engine plane.

The weather was good. The plan, be back at noon. But he never returned.

"Just a little out and back excursion. And he had more than enough fuel on board so that shouldn't have been an issue," said Major Cynthia Ryan of the Civil Air Patrol.

Monday evening, a search was launched, with authorities covering hundreds of miles of terrain in Western Nevada.

They're also using radar information to try to track the plane.

The plane's emergency locator radio beacon has not gone off, which happens when there is a hard impact.

"Now I'd like to fly faster and farther," Fossett said in the past.

Fossett holds numerous flight records, including the first nonstop, solo flight around the world without refueling which he achieved back in 2005.

"People of his experience and background, sometimes they like to go out and push the envelope a little, although as I understand from his pilot, he was actually a very conservative pilot," Ryan said.

Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, which sponsored Fossett's nonstop, solo flight, said he thinks Fossett's okay.

"Steve is a tough old boot. I suspect he is waiting by his plane right now for someone to pick him up," Branson said.

Fossett completed the record flight around the world in Salina two years ago.