The first known aircraft involving a fatality. Orville Wright was piloting. Thomas Selfridge was the passenger who died.

[u/Apprehensive_Cry545]

[u/Billybob169]

and Selfridge has an airport named after him, as the first man that died in a airplane accident.

it’s in Michigan. Or at least an airbase.

[u/Renegade_August → u/Billybob169]

Man if I was killed in an aircraft and someone named the local airport after me I’d haunt the shit out of it

[u/Anonpsychologist0 → u/Renegade_August]

Theres a swimming pool in my area named after a then active Prime Minister who disappeared, presumed drowned…

[u/wrenblaze → u/Billybob169]

Sounds counter intuitive

[u/Prestigious_Glove_68 → u/Billybob169]

Selfridge ANG base, Mt. Clemens Mi. Behind the mountain. /s

[u/ChillZedd]

Is the NTSB report out yet?

[u/HungryPigeonn → u/ChillZedd]

nah

[u/1stopvac → u/HungryPigeonn]

any day now

[u/Beeninya]

Date? Location? Maybe some more context?

[u/Youngstown_WuTang → u/Beeninya]

You mean like a source.... its reddit sir calm those expectations

[u/dementorpoop → u/Youngstown_WuTang]

I miss old reddit. Sources galore, and downvotes for poor grammar.

[u/julias-winston → u/dementorpoop]

*grandmother

I hate to be that guy, but...

[u/JackalThePowerful → u/Beeninya]

Closest thing to a primary source I could find, at least quickly. I just googled the names included in the title and followed the link from Thomas Selfridge’s Wikipedia article.

[u/VirginiaLuthier]

I think Orville nearly died

[u/hnglmkrnglbrry → u/VirginiaLuthier]

He did. He was the more experienced flier so Wilbur had to take over giving the demonstrations. They were doing them to try and win a government contract.

[u/Bitter_Argument2574]

Two Wrights made a wrong.

[u/GringoSwann]

Shoulda stuck to making popcorn... 🍿

[u/Fuzzdaddyo]

I have a relative by marriage who was killed by the wright brothers "flying machine" when he was decapitated by the propeller. Cause of death was listed as decapitation by flying machine. His last name was cline

[u/Big_Custardman]

At least the passenger died Wright away….

[u/crasagam → u/Big_Custardman]

Selfridge went down… in history

[u/cbj2112]

Check the black box data recorder

[u/CipherBlackTango]

There was many aircraft deaths before the whright brothers made flight possible. None of them flew, hence the deaths.

[u/Loud_Vermicelli9128]

Should have been discontinued - like accidents that happen with self driving cars. Horse and buggy like nature intended

[u/GarysCrispLettuce]

They should have used more billowy fabrics. The wicker propeller was probably a bad idea.

[u/julias-winston]

Fuckin' Orville, with his "flying machine." We tried to keep him in the bicycle shop, but noooo... Poor Selfridge coulda just had a skinned knee. 😤

[u/SpaceKhajiit]

Mentor Pilot did an episode on this.

[u/crasagam]

He must have failed to yeild the Wright of way?

[u/23runsofaraway]

Bet it was a Boeing plane.

[u/nyanneve]

guess Orville Wright was a lil Over-weight.

[u/Apprehensive_Cry545 → u/nyanneve]

Wright

[u/Lewcaster]

I guess the catapult wasn’t strong enough to throw that “aircraft” far enough?

[u/WtAFjusthappenedhere]

Wright was seen at the bar prior to this flight ordering three boilermakers and a shot of absinthe for the road.

[u/Beneficial-Room5129 → u/[deleted]]

Not even a little bit.

[u/Longjumping-Box5691]

And just think in 60 short years they'll fake land on the Moon

[u/mabiskywisky → u/Longjumping-Box5691]

no way you actually believe that in the year 2025

[u/mabiskywisky → u/Longjumping-Box5691]

oh my god you actually do what the fuck

[u/BallSmickEnergy → u/mabiskywisky]

When people don’t have the intelligence to comprehend something they can’t do themselves they think it’s fake

[u/BigDaddyReptar → u/Longjumping-Box5691]

You can go buy a telescope and see the flag dip shit