What ignited the Hindenburg?
We look at the theories behind the cause of the German airship disaster
The heyday of rigid airships came to an abrupt end when the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg crashed in New Jersey, US, in 1937. It caught fire while attempting to dock with its mooring mast, killing 13 passengers, 22 crewmen and one ground worker. Previous airship crashes had claimed more lives (73 died on the USS Akron in April 1933 and the British R-101 took 48 souls in October 1930), but the Hindenburg disaster attracted more publicity as it was caught on film, and the debate surrounding what sparked the disaster continues.
How was the airship constructed, what happened on that fateful day, and why?
Mike Follows looks at the theories behind the cause of the German airship disaster in 1937.
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