Thomas Selfridge

Thomas Etholen Selfridge (February 8, 1882 – September 17, 1908) was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and the first person to die in an airplane crash. He was also the first active-duty member of the U.S. military to die in a crash while on duty. He was killed while seated as a passenger in a Wright Flyer, on a demonstration flight piloted by Orville Wright.

This article is about the U.S. army lieutenant. For his grandfather, the U.S. Navy admiral, see Thomas Oliver Selfridge Sr. For his uncle, the U.S. navy admiral, see Thomas Oliver Selfridge Jr.
Thomas Selfridge
Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge (1882–1908)
BornFebruary 8, 1882 (1882-02-08)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 17, 1908(1908-09-17) (aged 26)
Fort Myer, Virginia, U.S.
Cause of deathPlane crash
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery Section 3 Gravesite 2158
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1903–1908
RankFirst Lieutenant
UnitAeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
RelationsThomas O. Selfridge Sr. (grandfather),
Thomas O. Selfridge Jr. (uncle)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.