( CNN ) -- Bones found last week near where Steve Fossett 's plane crashed in eastern California 's Sierra Nevadas are those of the adventurer , authorities said Monday . Fossett , seen here with his wife , Peggy , disappeared after a solo flight in 2007 . Testing at California 's state crime lab determined that `` two large bones '' recovered Wednesday matched Fossett 's DNA , a spokeswoman for the Madera County Sheriff 's Department in California said . Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said last week that confirmation that the bones were Fossett 's would allow authorities to conclude with certainty that Fossett is dead . Fossett was last seen on the morning of September 3 , 2007 , when he took off from the Flying-M Ranch outside Minden , Nevada . He was scouting locations for an attempt to break the land-speed record in a rocket-propelled car . Searchers found the bones , Fossett 's driver 's license , a pair of shoes and a $ 100 bill on Wednesday , Anderson said last week . The discovery site was a little more than a half-mile from where Fossett 's plane wreckage was found on October 1 in a remote area of the Sierra Nevadas at an altitude of 10,000 feet . See map showing takeoff site , crash site » . The site of Wednesday 's discovery also is about a quarter-mile from where a hiker reported finding two aviation identification cards with Fossett 's name and $ 1,000 in cash in late September , Anderson said . Animal chew marks were found on the driver 's license and the shoes , Anderson said . He said the marks indicate that `` animals possibly [ moved ] the body . '' Previous DNA tests on what were believed to be bone fragments at and near the crash site showed that the fragments were n't human remains , Anderson said . The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating the wreck . Fossett made his money in the financial services industry but became renowned for his daredevil exploits . Read about Fossett 's milestones » . Fossett was the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon , in 2002 , and the first to fly a plane around the world solo without refueling three years later . He also set world records in round-the-world sailing and cross-country skiing .
Bones were found more than a half - mile from plane wreck site in California . DNA testing confirms they are Wright 's , they say . Aircraft crashed after a solo flight ; wreckage found last month .