The Wright Flyer flew for only one day before a gust of wind destroyed it while it was parked.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first powered, controlled, and sustained flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft. The Wright Flyer I completed four successful flights that morning at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The longest flight lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet (260 meters) with Wilbur at the controls.While the brothers and witnesses were discussing the final flight, a sudden gust of wind estimated at over 25 miles per hour caught the aircraft. Because the Flyer was extremely light and had a large wing surface area, it was easily lifted and tumbled across the sand. The impact shattered the wooden wing ribs, cracked the engine block, and twisted the chain-drive transmission system.The damage was so extensive that the brothers decided not to attempt repairs on-site. The wreckage was crated and shipped back to their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, where it remained in storage for years. It was eventually restored and is now a centerpiece at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.This single day of operation changed history despite its short duration. The 1903 Flyer never flew again because the Wrights moved on to developing more advanced models like the Flyer II and Flyer III. These subsequent designs addressed the stability issues and structural weaknesses revealed during their experiments at Kitty Hawk.