Suzanne Bernard (1892 – 10 March 1912) was a pioneer French aviator. She was killed in a plane crash at the age of 19. Bernard was killed at

Étampes Étampes () is a Communes of France, commune in the functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the Kilometre zero#France, center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a Subprefectures in ...

in an accident during her test for her pilot licence on 10 March 1912. The aircraft she was flying, a

Caudron The Société des Avions Caudron was a French aircraft company founded in 1909 as the Association Aéroplanes Caudron Frères by brothers Gaston and René Caudron. It was one of the earliest aircraft manufacturers in France and produced planes for ...

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

, was caught in a wind and rolled inverted, falling to the ground. Bernard was crushed beneath it. The previous year, another French woman, Deniz Moore, aged 35, had also died while flying. The deaths caused a great deal of mourning and reflection in aviation circles, and there was criticism of parents who permitted their daughters to engage in such dangerous activity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, Suzanne 1892 births 1912 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in France French women aviators People from Troyes Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1912 20th-century French women Women aviation pioneers French aviation pioneers