Almost 90 years after the devastating “Hindenburg” disaster, experts are once again investigating what caused the fire in the legendary airship on May 6, 1937.

In the ORF documentary « Hindenburg – Tragedy in the Sky », which will be broadcast on September 13, 2024, aviation experts Dan Grossman and Jason Harris examine rediscovered footage that could provide new clues. The airship, a symbol of technological progress in the 1930s, burned up within minutes when landing in Lakehurst, USA. The cause of the accident remains unknown to this day. In the documentary, the event is reconstructed in detail in collaboration with leading scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen.

With a length of over 245 meters, the « Hindenburg » was the largest aircraft ever built. It was considered a masterpiece of engineering and a prestige object of Nazi Germany. Its tragic end resulted in lasting shock and ended the era of the Zeppelin. The documentary sheds light on the technical and political background and shows how the accident changed the history of aviation.

A detailed article on why hydrogen appears to be questionable as a lifting gas for modern airships can be found at this link at Aviation.Direct.