After the LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire on May 6, 1937 during the landing maneuver in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and sank to the ground within minutes, the destroyed framework of the airship remained on the base grounds. The wreckage shows the full extent of the disaster: the structural framework of duralumin was largely exposed, while parts of the vessel still burned. Rescue personnel and eyewitnesses gathered in the immediate vicinity of the debris. 36 of the 97 people on board perished in the accident.