This article, published in Safe Skies Magazine, looks back 100 years into the cause of the first aircraft accident and finds commonality with accidents of today. Copies are available on request.

1. A FedEx Express Air Operations Division Publication
CEO Air Safety Awards pp. 10-13
Farewell to a Grand Ol’ Lady pp. 54-57
Noise Abatement Departure Profiles pp. 34-35
Fall.2008

2. 100Years
Jim Willson
of Accident Investigation
On Sept. 17, 1908 the first recorded fatal aircraft
accident killed Army Lt. Thomas Selfridge and nearly
killed the inventor of powered flight, Orville Wright.
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3. It is doubtful that the significance of Sept. 17, 2008 will receive the aircraft was at an altitude of 150 feet AGL. Unable to see the
recognition by the popular media. Yet, to those in the profession of propellers that were behind him, Orville felt the vibration, heard
aviation, it marks the 100th anniversary of the first of many tragic a clicking, and determined that there was a mechanical problem
events – a “day of infamy.” with the engine. He promptly shut down the engine and corrected
for a “tendency to turn which the aircraft seemed to have.” The
How has aviation safety changed in 100 years? For one thing, 100
clicking was determined to be the sound of the propeller hitting
years ago no one looked at flight safety as a profession as we do
the rear guide wire repeatedly, very lightly. In hindsight, this
today. Individuals with specialized training and skills are now able
to prevent many accidents that were not preventable in the past. could be attributed to aero-elasticity of the aircraft frame. When
Knowing what we now know about the physical and statistical the propeller finally let go, it pulled the guy wire out of its metal
laws of safety, could we have prevented the first accident? Let’s eye. The aircraft entered a rapid descent that Orville attempted
take a look. to correct for with rapid control movements, which in hindsight
most likely stalled out the control surfaces, causing the aircraft
On Sept. 17, 1908, Mr. Orville Wright and Army Lt. Thomas E.
to depart controlled flight and fall to the ground. Orville stated
Selfridge flew a flight in preparation for speed trials for a
that the control surfaces started to regain effectiveness at about
U.S. Army procurement contract. Incidentally, this was also the
15 feet, which resulted in an impact angle of 45 degrees. Orville
first U.S. military performance-based contract, even though the
Wright was severely injured in the crash, requiring an extensive
law did not allow for such contracts back then. The U.S. Army
hospital stay. Lt. Selfridge died at 8:10 that evening from a fracture
instructed applicants to file separate applications for their aircraft
to his skull over his eye.
at speeds ranging from 36-44 mph. They instructed the applicants
to add/subtract 10% to the cost of the aircraft for each mph of Using today’s knowledge we now ask the question, “Was the very
speed attained, with 40 mph being set at $25,000 (1908 dollars). first fatal aircraft accident preventable?” We now know, thanks to
Thus, the Army skirted the appropriations rules of the day by then professionals such as William Heinrich and James Reason, that
selecting the correct application that matched the demonstrated accidents generally do not occur without precursors in the form of
speed of the aircraft. smaller incidents. Today we think of things in terms of the Heinrich
During initial proving runs, Orville Wright failed to achieve the Pyramid, which shows that for every fatal accident there will be
desired 40-mph base speed. As a result he decided to install a approximately 29 serious incidents, over 300 minor incidents and
new pair of propellers on the aircraft. These were nine feet in over a thousand unreported occurrences of similar construct. This
diameter, four inches longer than the propellers used before this is why the industry today has adopted programs such as ASAP,
flight. At 5:14 p.m. Orville Wright and Lt. Selfridge began their flight. FOQA and LOSA to gain insight into those previously unreported
Orville piloted the aircraft into a left-hand circle, as was the usual events. Nevertheless, what about the Wright Brothers? They were
pattern. After 4½ laps and flight time of 4.3 minutes, a section of on the leading edge. It was too early in aeronautical science to
the propeller blade broke off. At that time, it was estimated that benefit from precursor theory, right? Wrong.
Continued on page 24
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4. 100Years
Continued from page 23
of Accident Investigation
Orville’s diary was the first safety database. In his diary, there is not just once, but three separate times. They eventually won the
an entry stating that on September 9, 1908 there was an incident contract on August 2, 1909.
with a propeller splitting and requiring replacement. Had Orville
In retrospect, the failure to investigate an incident and the rush to
investigated the incident involving the propeller design and
comply with a deadline (that was amendable) resulted in a fatal
corrected it (which was in fact accomplished after the accident)
accident that would have been preventable had the time been
the accident would most likely have been prevented. It was
taken to investigate. A century later, we have solved many of the
Orville’s nature to investigate and figure out problems. Why did
mechanical problems associated with flying. Aviation is safer
he not do so in this case? The answer goes back to the nature
now than it ever has been. However, the cultural issues remain.
of the Army contract. Orville had until September 20, 1908 to
Pilots still do not report minor incidents that could be predictors
complete his prescribed tests. Weather and engine problems
of more serious problems, often in fear of retribution for doing
had delayed his ability to fly the prescribed tests. So instead of
so. Thus, hazards go unidentified. In addition, operational tempo
taking another delay for investigating the split propeller incident, still is a common thread in many flight and ground accidents
he placed a larger propeller on the aircraft to squeeze more that investigators investigate every year. As the world embraces
airspeed out of the design. Safety Management Systems and new paradigms of just culture,
it is hoped that the aviation world will not discover the same
At $2,500 per mph above 40 mph, the temptation to proceed
cultural factors behind accidents at the 125th anniversary.
without the thorough analysis that the Wright Brothers were
famous for overcame Orville. He succumbed to the operational
pressure and the need for mission success. With today’s Footnotes
1Vernon J. Edwards, The True Story of the Wright Brother’s Contract, http://www.
knowledge, the profession has accumulated sufficient data to wifcon.com/anal/analwright.htm, July 2002.
show that succumbing to operational pressure costs more in 2Accident Report: First United States Military Aircraft Accident of Mr. Orville Wright
and Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge on 17 September 1908, War Department, Office of the
the end. Tragically, this was also true in this case. The U.S. Army Chief Signal Officer, Washington Aeronautical Division, February 19, 1909.
granted the Wright Brothers an extension to the test deadline 3Edwards.
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