Final Flight
On 9 August 1896, Lilienthal went as on previous weekend to the Rhinow Hills. The day was very sunny and not too hot (about 20°C). The first flights were successful, reaching a distance of 250 metres (820 ft) in his normal glider. During the fourth flight Lilienthal's glider stalled. He tried to re-establish lift by swinging his body back to correct the attitude of the glider. That maneuver failed and he fell from a height of about 15 metres (49 ft), while still in the glider.
Paul Beylich, Lilienthal's glider mechanic, transported him by horse drawn carriage to Stölln, where he was examined by a physician. Lilienthal had a fracture of third cervical vertebra and soon became unconscious. Later that day he was transported in a cargo train to Lehrter train station in Berlin, and the next morning to the clinic of Ernst von Bergmann, one of the most famous and successful surgeons in Europe at the time. Lilienthal died there a few hours later (about 36 hours after the crash), his last words to his brother Gustav were "sacrifices must be made."
Otto Lilienthal was buried at Lankwitz public cemetery in Berlin.
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Famous quotes containing the words final and/or flight:
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“One man’s observation is another man’s closed book or flight of fancy.”
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