The longest flight time achieved by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903, was 59 seconds.
The flight was made by Wilbur Wright during the fourth and final powered attempt of that day. The aircraft traveled about 852 feet before a strong gust and rough landing ended the sequence. The earlier flights lasted 12, 12, and 15 seconds, making the final attempt substantially longer.
The result was a carefully documented milestone, but it was not yet a practical passenger service or a routine airport operation. The Flyer remained difficult to launch and land, and the brothers still needed extensive development before they had a reliable airplane.
The 59-second figure is often confused with the first flight’s duration, which was 12 seconds. Both numbers belong to the same day, but they describe different flights and different pilots.