The Crash & Turning Point

Early 1920s
A devastating accident reshaped Reuben H. Fleet’s personal life and deepened his commitment to aircraft safety.

A Flight That Ended in Tragedy

In the years following World War I, while aircraft were still fragile and often unforgiving, Reuben H. Fleet was involved in a crash that nearly ended his flying career. The aircraft went down with tremendous force. Fleet survived; the woman he planned to marry did not.

His injuries were extensive. Contemporary accounts describe doctors saying he had broken nearly every major bone in his body. Recovery required months of immobility, repeated treatments, and a level of endurance few men could have summoned.

How the Crash Influenced His Engineering Philosophy

The accident did more than change Fleet’s personal path—it reinforced his convictions about aircraft design and safety. Having seen firsthand how quickly an aircraft failure could destroy lives, he became even more determined to:

improve stability and structural strength
reduce the likelihood of catastrophic failures
design aircraft that would protect their crews under stress
treat safety not as an added feature, but as a central requirement

These principles later shaped everything from training policies to the design standards at Consolidated Aircraft.

Pain, Memory, and Motivation

For the rest of his life, Fleet carried the physical reminders of the crash. Accounts from those close to him note that he sometimes moved stiffly, especially in colder weather, and that the old injuries never fully faded. Yet he rarely spoke about the accident in public. Instead, he channeled the experience into a quiet resolve to build better, safer machines.

From Personal Loss to Public Good

This turning point in Fleet’s life helps explain the depth of his commitment to engineering integrity. His insistence on sound structures, stable handling, and careful testing was not abstract. It came from lived experience.

The crash stands as one of the most consequential episodes in his biography—one that reshaped his family life and strengthened his resolve to ensure that future aircraft, and the people who flew them, were as safe as disciplined design and careful manufacturing could make them.