** The Silver Bird during its first flight in
June 2011.**
Key Takeaways:
Two volunteer pilots, Mitchell Cary (64) and Don Gum (73), died in a rural Ohio field when their replica Wright Model B Flyer, known as the "Silver Bird," crashed during a test flight after experiencing engine trouble.
Cary and Gum were experienced pilots and trustees for Wright "B" Flyer Inc., a non-profit dedicated to promoting aviation history, and were highly valued for their significant contributions.
The "Silver Bird," built by volunteers with modern components but replicating the original's chain-drive system, had accumulated 25 trouble-free flight hours before the accident, adding to at least five similar replica crashes in the past decade.
Two men were killed on Saturday when they made a forced landing in a replica Wright Model B Flyer in a rural Ohio field.
The men were conducting a test flight in the replica, known as the “Silver Bird,” when they made a radio call from the air alerting authorities about their impending forced landing.
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