“The greatest airship ever flown became known as the ‘Titanic of the Sky’”

The National Geographic Society explores the mysterious and dramatic Hindenburg explosion of May 1937 in Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA.

The Hindenburg was the largest German Zeppelin that carried passengers, crew, luggage, mail, and a heavy loaf duel. Much like the Titanic, it was revered for its size as well as lavish accommodations. It had made ten round trips between Germany and the United States before its demise.

Herb Morrison captured the horror in the famous broadcast that proceeded despite the shock. Now National Geographic provides never-before-seen footage of the explosion that only reinforces the tragedy of the 35 resulting deaths.
Other crash witnesses and some of the 64 survivors give their accounts. A NASA engineer provides evidence that hydrogen did not cause the explosion, which gives credence to other theories, including its sabotage by Nazi opponents or insurance fraud.

Nearly everyone has seen the vivid newsreel footage of the Hindenburg disaster, when Germany’s pride, the greatest airship ever flown, burst into flames while attempting to land in New Jersey after a transatlantic crossing in 1937.
And while the Hindenburg’s fiery end could not have been more public, the cause of the disaster has always the subject of much speculation, with theories ranging from sabotage to the more mundane explanation of static electricity igniting the highly flammable hydrogen gas used to lift the 804-foot-long dirigible.

The answers given by modern science indicate that overlooked features of the Hindenburg’s construction contributed to its dramatic end, which also marked the end of the luxurious and amazing era of airship travel.

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