Volume 12 , Issue 19

1937 May 6th - The Hindenburg Explodes (Lakehurst, New Jersey)

It was May 1936 that the giant airship Hindenburg made its first transatlantic flight. This 804-feet long, hydrogen-filled behemoth moved through the air powered by four 1050hp engines with a top speed of 82mph and a range in excess of 8000 miles.

Seventy passengers were surrounded luxury amenities that included a dining room, cocktail lounge, library and sitting room equipped with a grand piano. During a 60 hour flight from Frankfurt am Main, Germany to Lakehurst, New Jersey, passengers entertained themselves with long walks along promenades bordered by large windows.

On Thursday, May 6th, 1937 the airship crashed in flames at the end of her maiden voyage of the year. As the Hindenburg maneuvered to land, something ignited her load of volatile hydrogen. Within seconds flames engulfed the entire ship as passengers and crew leapt for their lives. 35 aboard the ship, one member of the ground crew died. The disaster marked the end of the commercial use of airships.

Of the 97 people on board, 35 people died in addition to one fatality on the ground. The disaster was the subject of spectacular newsreel coverage, photographs, and Herbert Morrison's recorded radio eyewitness report from the landing field, which was broadcast the next day. The actual cause of the fire remains unknown, although a variety of theories have been put forward for both the cause of ignition and the initial fuel for the ensuing fire.



Radio reporter Herbert Morrison was sent to cover the airship's arrival. As he watched in horror, his eye witness encryption of the disaster was the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast and became a classic piece of audio history.

Once the Hindenburg caught, all was over in 37 seconds. Perhaps someone might remember these infamous words as reported by Herbert Morrison, "Oh the Humanity."

Morrison's description began routinely but changed instantly as the airship burst into flames:

"It's practically standing still now. They've dropped ropes out of the nose of the ship, and they've been taken a hold of down on the field by a number of men. It's starting to rain again; it's the rain had slacked up a little bit. The back motors of the ship are just holding it just, just enough to keep it from -- It burst into flames! It burst into flames, and it's falling, it's crashing! Watch it! Watch it, folks! Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get this, Charlie! Get this, Charlie! It's fire ... and it's crashing! It's crashing terrible! Oh, my, get out of the way, please! It's burning and bursting into flames, and the ... and it's falling on the mooring-mast and all the folks agree that this is terrible, this is the worst of the worst catastrophes in the world. Ohhhhh! It's ... it's ... it's the flames, [indecipherable, 'enty' syllable] oh, four- or five-hundred feet into the sky and it ... it's a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen. It's smoke, and it's flames now ... and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring-mast. Oh, the humanity and all the passengers screaming around here. I told you, I can't even talk to people whose friends are on there. Ah! It's ... it's ... it's ... it's ... oohhh! I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen. Honest, it's just laying there, a mass of smoking wreckage. Ah! And everybody can hardly breathe and talk, and the screaming. Lady, I'm sorry. Honest: I can hardly breathe. I'm going to step inside, for I cannot see it. Charlie, that's terrible. Ah, ah ... I can't. I, listen, folks, I'm gonna have to stop for a minute because I've lost my voice. This is the worst thing I've ever witnessed."

SEE ALSO: Radio Days - Hindenburg (May 6, 1937) for an audio and more information about the May 1937 Crash of the airship, Hindenburg.



Hindenburg History - Construction

"The airship was constructed as the LZ129. March, 1936 it was christened the Hindenburg (After the German President who appointed Hitler as chancellor). The Hindenburg was initially designed to carry Helium, the safe gas, but was filled with Hydrogen instead. The Hindenburg measured 804 feet (245m) in length and carried 7 million cubic feet of hydrogen gas (198,219m3). It only catered for 50 passengers. It was (and still is) the largest flying object built."

Service - "The airship began its maiden flight on March 31st 1936, to Rio de Janeiro. It began its first flight to America on May the 6th 1936 after considerable engine overhauls, they had failed badly due to design fault. It was the first ever scheduled air service between Europe and the US. Over the period of a year it carried 1600 passengers on the Atlantic route, travelling a total distance of 200,000 miles (321,860km), without 'major' mishap (Not considering a near-collusion on two occasions)"

Disaster 1937 -- "The Atlantic crossing was boring an uneventful (and slow due to a headwind). May 6th - It finally arrived 10 hours late at Lakehurst, New Jersey. A sudden thunderstorm opened up, and winds picked up, and the landing was aborted. At 7:00pm, the Hindenburg arrived back to land. For 20 minutes it maneuvered towards the mooring mast, then the engines were shut down. Then a single spark ignited the Hydrogen, and the airship exploded into flames. It was over in 34 seconds."


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