At 4:45 a pilot named Charles Manley signaled for crewmen to release restraining pins so the plane would be thrown into the wind by a spring-driven catapult. But just as the pin was pulled, a heavy gust of wind sent the platform lurching. The aerodrome's rear wings collapsed and it made a spectacular nosedive into the water. This was probably one reason why not a single reporter showed up to watch the Wright brothers successfully fly the world’s first airplane, the Flyer, nine days later.
