Ormer Locklear and Milton 'Skeets' Elliott were killed on the last day of filming, when a nighttime stunt flight went horribly wrong. The fatal crash was included in the released film, but no copy of it seems to exist.
No footage of the film is known to exist. Making this movie "lost".
The film is considered lost now. However, Ormer Locklear's true legacy remains as one of the first to bring aviation to the silver screen.
Although married, Locklear had been dating Viola Dana, and on the night before his death, in a premonition, gave her some of his personal effects.
With the entire film already almost completed except for the night scene, Fox made the decision to capitalize on the crash and deaths of Locklear and Elliot, by rushing The Skywayman into production and release.