Terrific Impact.
The impact when the aeroplane struck must have been terrific, and it is remarkable that both men were not dashed to death at once. The machine was flying at a speed of about forty miles, and this added to the fall of seventy feet gave it a terrible force. Peculiarly, however, the ground did not show signs of impact, although this is explained by the fact that the ground is hard from the tramping of many feet and baked solid by the hot Autumn sun.
Supt. Magoon of Arlington National Cemetary was probably closest to the aeroplane when it fell. He was standing close to the wall of the cemetery at the turn Wright was making to fly back down the field when the accident came.
“I heard the crash with which the propeller blade was wrenched away,” he said, “and then saw the right hand propeller apparently accelerate its speed. From where I stood it looked as thought this tipped the machine up, the added force on one side throwing it over just as it was straightening for the race back to the starting point. Wright must have acted almost intuitively, for the motor seemed to stop, and the aeroplane dropped down in gliding fashion for about thirty-five feet. Of a sudden it seemed to dive sharply forward and fall. It came down like a bird shot dead in full flight describing almost a complete somersault and throwing up a dense cloud of dust.”
Charles White of White & Middleton, a mechanical expert, said regarding the accident:
“Before the flight of the machine I examined it thoroughly, and saw nothing to be criticised outside of the wood construction of the propellers. Before the machine made the flight I remarked that the wood propellers were not of the proper construction. Three seconds after the accident happened the big machine appeared like a bird with a broken wing. The forward side of the machine struck the ground first. Wright and Selfridge were in their usual position on the seats when they landed. They were not thrown out. All the mechanical devices remained intact, though the braces and canvas work were wrecked. The accident was due entirely to the defective propeller. The aeroplane was under perfect control, and the accident was certainly not due to any fault of operation.”
There are many stories of the fall, all differing somewhat. C. S. Taylor, Wright's mechanician, had no theory to offer, but he declared the accident would not have been disastrous had the aeroplane been flying in a direct line.
