What was the Wright brothers’ first powered aircraft to carry a passenger besides its pilot?

The Wright Flyer III was the Wright brothers’ first powered aircraft to carry a passenger besides its pilot.

The passenger was Charles Furnas, a mechanic who worked with the brothers. On May 14, 1908, Wilbur Wright carried Furnas during a flight near Dayton, Ohio. Orville later carried Furnas on the same day, making Furnas the first airplane passenger.

The Flyer III was a substantially improved aircraft compared with the 1903 Flyer. Its redesigned controls and greater stability made longer and more practical flights possible. The machine was tested at Huffman Prairie near Dayton during 1905 and later used in passenger flights.

The first passenger was not a paying airline traveler, because commercial passenger aviation did not yet exist. Furnas was an associate and mechanic taking part in the brothers’ experimental work.