During the flight trials at Ft. Myer on September 12, 1908, tragedy struck. At a height of 75 feet, on a turn, one of the new nine foot propeller blades broke. The machine pitched to the ground resulting in the death of Lieutenant Selfridge and the painful injury of Orville Wright. The collapsed Wright airplane was photographed just after it struck the ground. This was the first airplane crash and fatality in history.

collapsed Wright airplane photographed just after it struck the ground

More about the crash.

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Tagged: air travel, history

Kent Boese posts items of historic interest, primarily within the District. He’s worked in libraries since 1994, both federal and law, and currently works on K Street. He’s been an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner serving the northern Columbia Heights and Park View neighborhoods since 2011 (ANC 1A), and served as the Commission’s Chair since 2013. He has a MS in Design from Arizona State University with strong interests in preservation, planning, and zoning. Kent is also the force behind the blog Park View, DC.