September 17, 1908, Summerall Field, Fort Myer, Virginia - 1LT Thomas E. Selfridge accompanied Orville Wright on a trial flight of the Wright Brothers' "aeroplane" that resulted in another milestone in history and a first in military aviation.
Trials at Ft. Myer began on 3d September 1908 and on the 17th, the trial ended in a crash of the machine as one of the propellers hit a guy wire forcing a nose down contact. Orville suffered a few broken ribs, a broken leg. LT Selfridge was thrown against one of the uprights and had a fractured skull. Unfortunately, he passed.
The photo below shows the aeroplane & Orville Wright & 1LT Selfridge before takeoff
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A graduate of West Point, LT Selfridge is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
If he had been wearing protective headgear, he may have survived the crash.
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