A closeup of a screen at the GlobalFlyer media centre showing GlobalFlyer's route so far. Photograph: Jane Perrone
At 8am Fossett had covered 13,391 miles and was travelling at 45,500ft over Chinese airspace. GlobalFlyer had passed the halfway mark and at 7.05am local time over Calcutta after flying for 30 hours and 19 minutes. But this morning brings news of a more dramatic nature that could bring a premature end to Steve Fossett's bid to become the first person to fly around the world nonstop and solo.
Mission control have noticed a discrepancy between the two fuel gauges they use: after much number crunching from chief engineer Jon Karkow, they now think the lower figure is right, meaning that Fossett will only make it back to Kansas with favourable tailwinds.
A closer look at the GlobalFlyer media centre. Photograph: Jane Perrone
Project director Paul Moore called it a "rather serious development". Moore spoke to Fossett live during the press conference, and for the first time he seemed genuinely worried, calling it a "huge setback" and saying "I don't have a high level of confidence at this point and I am going to have to do the best I can."
The mission control team will need to make crucial decisions about whether GlobalFlyer should contine or land at two points in the journey known in aviation as "go - no go" points. These are over Japanese airspace, before the plane heads out over the Pacific, and over Hawaii, half way across the Pacific. While GlobalFlyer needs a long runway to take off it doesn't need such a long strip to land on, so the situation is potentially mission-ending rather than immediately life-threatening: there doesn't seem to be an immediate fear that Fossett may have to make an emergency landing. Decision time is 12.20pm local time (0620 GMT) so I'll keep you informed.
I am now going to write a story giving more details about the problem. More soon. My story is now live, here and I am now working on an update.
For more on GlobalFlyer, including an interactive guide to the mission and video of the takeoff, visit our special report.
