Wright Airplane outside Hangar at Fort Myer, Virginia, September 1908

01

Artifact Overview

While his brother was demonstrating their airplane in France, Orville Wright made demonstration flights of his own for the United States Army Signal Corps at Fort Myer, Virginia. All went well until September 17, 1908, when a cracked propeller caused the plane to crash. Orville survived with serious injuries, but passenger Lt. Thomas Selfridge was killed -- the first airplane fatality.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

September 1908

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

82.300.1623.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8.00 in
Width: 10.00 in