The tragedy of the German 'flying ship'

By the 1930s, most of the world's intercontinental travel was by sea. By then, however, a more efficient method had been to fly ships, or balloons, filled with hydrogen gas.

Germany was at the forefront, and several scientists at the time had suggested that they were ideal for transporting people across the Atlantic Ocean. Despite this, some scientists have warned that a minor error could cause a major catastrophe.

The aircraft was much larger than the current ones. The Hindenburg plane, which came to the fore in March 1936, was one of the largest and most popular members of the fleet. The balloon contained seven million cubic feet of hydrogen. Its length is 804 feet.

It was not easy to handle. However, due to the success of experiments and basic aviation hassle, many have forgotten the risks involved. On a happy afternoon, the plane departs on a fateful flight on May 3, 1937, to New Jersey, USA.


It has successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean and is scheduled to land at New Jersey Airport on May 6. No one would have thought that the next few minutes would add a black spot to the history of aviation in the world, and the end of 'flying ships' powered by air balloons.

The luxury flying ship called Hindenburg

Hindenburg is considered to be the largest aviation craft ever built in the world. It is 804 feet (245 m) long and is shaped like a rounded torpedo.

It measures 41.2 meters (135 ft) in diameter. By these figures, it was three times larger than the current 747 Boeing. Its maximum speed was 153 cents per hour.

The Hindenburg content was very nicely done. There were a number of air-conditioned booths and 72 beds. There was also a luxury dining room, living rooms, bars, smoking rooms.

It also had seating areas to view the surroundings. The beds and chairs were made of lightweight aluminum, and the smoking room was safe. It was named as a tribute to the late German President Paul von Hindenburg.

On its first voyage in March 1936, the Hindenburg aircraft made more than 60 long trips. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean several times.

Accident

On May 3, 1937, the Hindenburg flew to the United States from Frankfurt, Germany. The ride was smooth, but the winds were so fast that it was 12 hours late when it reached New Jersey, USA.

However, the weather on May 6 was not so good as it reached New Jersey. Due to the continuous rain, the crew decided to move around without trying to land.

As the weather was still not good at 7 pm, it was decided to take a risk and land on the plane because it would be even more dangerous if the weather worsened. This will lower the plane to 180 feet below ground level.


When the plane drops, there is a buzz and the hydrogen balloon begins to flare up. It then slips out of control and collapses to the ground as it is above the nose while the flames are fully engulfed.

In 34 seconds, the plane burns down. Although firefighters arrived at the scene of the accident as quickly as possible, the immediate nature of the accident could not save many lives.

Of the 97 passengers on board, only 62 survived. Some of them were seriously injured.

The landing of such a plane was a special incident, so several cameramen were present at the time of the accident. As a result, the accident has been filmed on camera lenses.

The cause of the accident

Immediately after the accident in Hindenburg, research on the subject began, and various theories emerged. Experts in the field of chemistry and physics doubtless attributed the crash to a hydrogen tank leak. The explosion of hydrogen into the air has caused a huge explosion.

Despite these claims, a number of different theories have surfaced. When one person claimed that the accident was caused by deliberate sabotage, another said that the cloth-covered with hydrogen balloon was very flammable.


Another popular opinion is that the balloon was torn because it was struck by a landing and the aircraft was diverted so fast that it landed in the middle of the rain.

At the time of the Hindenburg plane crash, Germany was in control of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi forces. They had powerful enemies. It was also stated that the accident was a deliberate one. On the other hand, it was later stated that the plane had been damaged by the Nazi army's rigid efforts to comply.

The airplane and its crew had been pressed several times to make the landing, especially on time.


Moreover, several experts have suggested that a small explosion could have caused a large explosion when the aircraft was filled with very active gas, such as hydrogen, but they were overlooked by the German government. Although it seems logical that one or more of the above factors may have led to the accident, none of these things proved correct.