An attempt to recreate the world's first powered human flight on the original site of the event has failed. The replica of the Flyer plane, flown 100 years ago by the Wright brothers, lost its tailfin as it ditched in mud while trying to take off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Bad weather had earlier prevented the re-enactment taking place at the precise moment of the centenary. In 1903, Orville Wright made a 12-second flight of just over 30 metres. Thousands had gathered at the site to celebrate the historic flight. But the replica Flyer, instead of soaring briefly into the air, slid down a wooden track and ground to a halt in a muddy puddle. Pilot Kevin Kochersberger, an aviation professor from New York state, looked initially despondent but managed to laugh before the plane was hauled off. The plane, which has a top speed of just 30mph (48kph), had crashed at least once in trials but managed to fly on separate occasions. Despite the disappointment, US President George W Bush - who briefly attended the centenary ceremony - said that in memory of the Wright brothers' achievement, the US would continue to set precedents in the world of flight. That's right Dubya, you tell 'em. Maybe you should have been at the SpaceShipOne launch instead? Source: BBC News [mostly]