Who was the first person to die in a fatal (powered) airplane accident?

Who was the first person to die in a fatal (powered) airplane accident?

• A. Orville Wright
• B. Thomas Selfridge
• C. Charles Lindbergh
• D. Amelia Earhart

Answer: (B)

Early powered flight carried significant risk, and this question highlights the first person to die in a powered airplane crash. The fatal incident happened during a U.S. Army demonstration flight at Fort Myer, Virginia, in 1908. Thomas Selfridge was aboard as a passenger while Orville Wright piloted. A mechanical failure caused the aircraft to crash, and Selfridge died from his injuries, making him the first person to die in a powered airplane accident. Orville Wright survived the crash and continued to contribute to aviation. The other famous pilots listed did not die in this earliest incident; Lindbergh lived long after his solo flight, and Earhart disappeared decades later during a circumnavigation attempt.

Early powered flight carried significant risk, and this question highlights the first person to die in a powered airplane crash. The fatal incident happened during a U.S. Army demonstration flight at Fort Myer, Virginia, in 1908. Thomas Selfridge was aboard as a passenger while Orville Wright piloted. A mechanical failure caused the aircraft to crash, and Selfridge died from his injuries, making him the first person to die in a powered airplane accident. Orville Wright survived the crash and continued to contribute to aviation. The other famous pilots listed did not die in this earliest incident; Lindbergh lived long after his solo flight, and Earhart disappeared decades later during a circumnavigation attempt.