Modern materials and the engineered parts made from them have helped advance aircraft since the days of the Wright brothers’ hand-carved wooden propellers. As high-tech alloys capable of withstanding extreme conditions became available, engineers designed and built ever faster, lighter, and more maneuverable planes. But in some cases, these materials have failed, setting in motion a series of events that ended in disaster or a narrowly averted one. Accident investigators, including materials experts, analyze destroyed engines and other aircraft components, searching for microscopic clues in the materials that point to the cause of failure and ways to prevent it from recurring. On Sept. 17, 1908, Thomas E. Selfridge became the first person to die in an airplane crash. Selfridge, an early military aviator and a first lieutenant in the US Army, was a passenger and trainee that day, flying over Fort Myer, Virginia, in a plane piloted by Orville Wright.

    Accident investigators often study aircraft components’ materials to identify the root cause of failure and find ways to ensure safety

    10.1021/cen-10042-cover-wrightcrash-gr1

    Moments after a Wright brothers airplane crashed in 1908, onlookers rushed to help the two injured aviators, one of whom soon died. (Credit: Associated Press)

    MaterialsairplanecrashinvestigationfailureAn old black-and-white photo of a Wright brothers plane that crashed.


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    Title :

    How materials scientists investigate aviation mishaps


    Additional title:

    C&EN


    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2022-11-28




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    Unknown




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