First fatal airplane crash

According to Official Guinness Records,

Lieutenant Thomas Etholen Selfridge (USA) was an army observer on a plane piloted by Orville Wright (USA) on 17 September 1908 when four minutes into the performance test of the aircraft 'Wright Flyer' at Fort Myer, Virginia, USA, the propeller snapped a rudder control wire, which forced the propeller to break and lead to the plane nose diving into a field. Selfridge died from his internal injuries and fractured skull within three hours of the accident. Wright was hospitalized with a fractured thigh and several broken ribs.

For a complete list of 1908 records, please visit 1908 Guinness Records in United States.

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