A record to die for

[Ben Schenk]

Who was the first man to die in an aircraft crash?

[Quizmonster]

Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge. Click here and scroll down to 'Deaths 1908"

[Ben Schenk]

Thanks, but is a balloon an aircraft? Was there someone who died in a balloon earlier? And could that be the first man to die in an aircraft crash? I don't know.

[jake-the-peg]

Depends on what you call an aircraft. Otto Lilienthal died piloting a glider in 1896 when he crashed from 15m Pilatre de Rozier was the first balooning fatality in 1785.

[delboy3]

Quizmonster is correct, but it wasn't a balloon. Details below:

http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1920/1920-1.htm

[Clanad]

As usual, Q is absolutely correct as regards powered aircraft. However (if somewhat pedantic) Otto Lilienthal, a famous aviation pioneer, was killed in his glider in, I believe, 1896. Additionally, Scotland's own Percy Pilcher was the next to meet the same fate in 1899, also in a glider. Aircraft are defined as any vehicle that is capable of flight (unique concept). Therefore, even hot air balloons are so defined and in which numerous early attempts at flight resulted in many undocumented deaths. I suppose Icarus could be considered for the trophy, since Ovid reported that occurrence in ca. 31BC...

[Quizmonster]

Point taken! In my defence, may I quote from The Oxford English Dictionary under the head-word 'aircraft'? It says:

"Since the 1930s commonly restricted to denote an aeroplane as distinct from a balloon or airship."

(As I'm sure you're aware, C, our 'aeroplane' = your 'airplane'!)
On that basis, gliders clearly qualify as aircraft, so Lilienthal is certainly looking good! Sadly, both Icarus and de Rozier are more dubious.

[Tatty Rollox]

...... and here is poor Icarus after he came a cropper - seems it was a soft landing .......

[SeaJayPea]

The first Briton killed in a plane crash was Charles Stewart Rolls, one half of Rolls-Royce. See here:

http://www.planecrashinfo.com/famous1910s.htm