Knox posts: Seems today was a day of several remarkable deaths in aviation, starting with the first man killed in an aircraft accident, Lt Tom Selfridge on 17 Sep 1908. While flying a demonstration of the Wright Military Flyer “Miss Columbia” on its 8th day of testing in front of ~2,500 people at Ft Myer Virginia, the right prop delaminated, shook itself loose and took out the right tail bracing structure sending the Flyer into a vertical dive from ~ 150 ft. The impact gave Lt Selfridge (an original member of Dr. Bells Aeronautical Experimental Association along with Glenn Curtis) a fractured skull. He died later that day after surgery. Orville Wright got broken ribs, fractured arm & hip and was hospitalized for 7 weeks. Rebuilt, the Military Flyer would go on to be formally purchased by US government on 2 August 1909 for $25,000. She can be seen today at NASMs Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 03:31:43 +0000