Hindenburg Disaster Lakehurst 1937

Hindenburg Disaster Lakehurst 1937

Hindenburg Disaster Lakehurst 1937.

Footage: Hindenburg Disaster Lakehurst. Shows the arrival of the airship Hindenburg in New York and the disaster at Lakerhurst when the ship explodes. Film length 01:23. A license fee of 3 times 30 seconds is charged to purchase a license for the full feature.

Film and Audio

Highlights the coverage that radio reporter Herbert Morrison gave to the 1937 Hindenburg crash. The newsreel complements footage of the crash and Morrison’s voiceover live narration.

Historical context

The tragic accident of the German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg occurred on May 6, 1937. The airship was scheduled to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA, when it suddenly burst into flames and crashed.
The Hindenburg was the largest aircraft of its time, carried by a hydrogen charge. The airship had a length of 245 meters and was used for transatlantic traffic between Germany and the United States.
Shortly before landing at Lakehurst Airfield near New York, the airship burst into flames within seconds. The entire event was documented by cameras and media representatives, leading to widespread publicity of the incident.
The exact cause was a combination of a static discharge and an ignition source. which ignited the hydrogen gas that filled the interior of the airship. Of the 97 people on board, 36 died, including 13 passengers and 22 crew members, as well as one member of the ground crew.
The Hindenburg disaster had a significant impact on public perception of airships. Although accidents involving airships had occurred before, this incident marked the end of the era of civilian use of hydrogen airships. Subsequently, gas airships were replaced by safer and more stable technologies such as helium.