[Faline]

On September 17, 1908, a historic moment unfolded at Fort Myer, Virginia, when Orville Wright showcased a groundbreaking "aeroplane" before a crowd of approximately 2,000 spectators, including high-ranking Army officials. One of the notable passengers on this journey into the skies was 26-year-old Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge of the Army Signal Corps, who was described as "an aeroplanist himself" in the newspaper accounts of the time.

During the demonstration, Orville Wright piloted the aircraft, reaching an altitude of approximately 75 feet. The flight appeared to proceed smoothly as the duo completed three and a half successful circuits over the expansive parade ground. However, fate took an unexpected turn when one of the propeller blades suddenly fractured, sending fragments careening into other parts of the aircraft and triggering a catastrophic crash.

The propeller blade broke, snapping off close to the shaft and soaring a remarkable sixty feet away. The aircraft briefly teetered, seeming to tip sharply for a fleeting moment, before ascending approximately ten feet. Tragically, this ascent was followed by a sudden, sharp descent, resulting in a heartbreaking crash on the field below.

The immediate aftermath was marked by a cloud of yellow dust that billowed into the air, casting a somber pall over the remnants of the once-promising man-made bird that had met its tragic end.

[Pelle]

Good post!

[carkees]

"an aeroplanist himself"

[Thalido-cide]

Nice.

[William May]

A lot of remnants of the crash, including the propeller that fractured, are on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.