Hindenburg mystery solved 76 years after historic catastrophe: static electricity caused the airship to explode

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 19:20 EST, 3 March 2013 | UPDATED: 04:03 EST, 4 March 2013

The mystery of the Hindenburg disaster has finally been solved 76 years after the in-flight exposition occurred.

The cause of the May 6, 1937, incident that killed 35 of the 100 passengers and crew members on board was static electricity, says a team of experts who have been looking into the real trigger.

They say that after the ship flew into a thunderstorm a build up of hydrogen led to the explosion.

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Real cause: The cause of the Hindenburg disaster that killed 35 of the 100 passengers and crew members on board was static electricity, says a team of experts who have been looking into the real trigger

Real cause: The cause of the Hindenburg disaster that killed 35 of the 100 passengers and crew members on board was static electricity, says a team of experts who have been looking into the real trigger

The iconic airship had become charged with static as a result of an electrical storm and broken wire or sticking gas valve leaked hydrogen into the ventilation shafts

The iconic airship had become charged with static as a result of an electrical storm and broken wire or sticking gas valve leaked hydrogen into the ventilation shafts

Through research: Jem Stansfield, a British aeronautical engineer, and his team of researchers based at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, blew up and set fire to scale models of blimps more than 24m long to prove the real cause

Through research: Jem Stansfield, a British aeronautical engineer, and his team of researchers based at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, blew up and set fire to scale models of blimps more than 24m long to prove the real cause

The iconic airship had reportedly become charged with static as a result of the electrical storm and broken wire or a sticking gas valve leaked the hydrogen into the ventilation shafts.

When ground crew members ran to take the landing ropes they effectively "earthed" the airship causing a spark.

The fire is believed to have started on the tail of the airship, igniting the leaking hydrogen.

Jem Stansfield, a British aeronautical engineer, and his team of researchers based at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, blew up and set fire to scale models of blimps more than 24m long to prove the real cause.

In a documentary that will be broadcast on Channel 4 in Britain on Thursday, Stanfield and other experts explain the sequence of events that triggered the explosion.

The researchers say their reason for conducting the experiments was to rule out theories ranging from a bomb planted by a terrorist to explosive properties in the paint used to coat the Hindenburg, the Independent reports.

The 245m German airship was preparing to land at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey, when it caught fire and quickly became engulfed in flames in front horrified onlookers.

Conspiracy theories: Stansfield's goal was to rule out conspiracy theories ranging from a bomb planted by a terrorist to explosive properties in the paint used to coat the Hindenburg, the Independent reports

Conspiracy theories: Stansfield's goal was to rule out conspiracy theories ranging from a bomb planted by a terrorist to explosive properties in the paint used to coat the Hindenburg, the Independent reports

Ready to land: The 245m German airship was preparing to land at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey

Ready to land: The 245m German airship was preparing to land at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey

Conflicting theories: Investigations conducted after the disaster deemed that a sudden spark had ignited leaking hydrogen gas in the airship, but investigators could not come to an agreement on what caused the spark or the leaking gas

Conflicting theories: Investigations conducted after the disaster deemed that a sudden spark had ignited leaking hydrogen gas in the airship, but investigators could not come to an agreement on what caused the spark or the leaking gas

Investigations conducted after the disaster deemed that a sudden spark had ignited leaking hydrogen gas in the airship.

However, investigators could not come to an agreement on what caused the spark, or the leaking gas.

Conspiracy theories began to spread that the Hindenburg had been wiped out by a bomb or that someone had shot down the airship from below.

Stansfield and his team were able to dispel those rumors after they recreated different scenarios with mini-replicas, studied archive footage of the disaster and collected eyewitness accounts.

‘I think you had massive distribution of hydrogen throughout the aft half of the ship; you had an ignition source pull down into the ship, and that whole back portion of the ship went up almost at once,’ said airship historian Dan Grossman.

Other theories: After the explosion conspiracy theories began to spread that the Hindenburg had been wiped out by a bomb or that someone had shot down the airship from below

Other theories: After the explosion conspiracy theories began to spread that the Hindenburg had been wiped out by a bomb or that someone had shot down the airship from below

Stansfield and his team were able to dispel those rumors after they recreated different scenarios with mini-replicas, studied archive footage of the disaster and collected eyewitness accounts

Stansfield and his team were able to dispel those rumors after they recreated different scenarios with mini-replicas, studied archive footage of the disaster and collected eyewitness accounts


 
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DM...VERY old news! I was told it was static electricity in elementary school in the 50's!! I hope we didn't spend "stimulus" money to study this old news!!

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Earthing it would have caused a spark to light up the aluminium coating over the fabric. This then surely started a fire. With the right mix of air and hydrogen it would catch fire. (In the US they use the word 'grounded' for 'earthed' but that's not proper English from England.)

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Quoting the article: "When ground crew members ran to take the landing ropes they effectively "earthed" the airship causing a spark." ...... They "earthed" the airship? In the USA the electrical term used is "grounded."

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It [helium] also leaks through much finer holes than hydrogen. (Oddly). - Bobs, Hitchin, 4/3/2013 4:32 ...... Actually it's not that odd. Hydrogen gas is a molecule H2, while Helium is in single atoms.

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G Reaper: Macon settled gently into the sea and only two men were lost. The problem with rigid airships was that while hydrogen was highly flammable, helium only provided half the buoyancy and proved in the event to be inadequate in the vicinity of storms and alternating u- and downdrafts. Pick your poison.

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Reference the remark about Jesus I wish the churches would start calling him by the name that his parents gave him ie the Hebrew Yeshua. It makes him more believable but the churches spin doctors wouldn't hear of it.

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I guess that bomb that was on board and exploded had nothing to do with it.

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I guess the bomb on board that exploded didn't contribute much.

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How come I have known the conclusions to this mystery for around 15 years now, but the DM seems to think that this is earth shattering news. The fact static electricity caused the disaster has been known for at least 15 years. There have been several documentaries that have said it and it was suspected just a few weeks after the incident

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I'm sure I saw several programmes in the past where the cause was put down to St Elmo's Fire.... static electricity.

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