What destroyed the Hindenburg?
Uplands Village member Mark Heald is quite the celebrity around the village these days. He
was recently interviewed in a Discovery Channel documentary: What Destroyed the
Hindenburg. What Mark, as a young boy, and his parents saw that fateful night helped solve the
mystery!
On Thursday, May 6, 1937, Professor and Mrs. Heald and their son Mark were outside eagerly
watching for the famous Hindenburg to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New
Jersey. As the Hindenburg was approaching for its landing it caught fire and was completely
destroyed. Of the 97 people on board, there were 35 fatalities; there was also one death
among the ground crew.
There have been several theories over the years as to the cause of the Hindenburg disaster. Of
course, high on the list in 1937 was the sabotage hypothesis. But as time passed other theories
emerged, including that lightning, engine failure, incendiary paint, puncture, structural failure,
fuel leak, or static spark was the cause. Recently cable-TV’s Discovery Channel sponsored a
documentary on possible causes of the disaster to mark the 75th anniversary. Through the
testing of the various theories put forth, the static spark hypothesis was proved to be the
mostly likely cause of the Hindenburg disaster.
A piece of the puzzle that helped solve this mystery was provided by that same family who
witnessed the disaster. As the Heald’s were watching the landing they saw what is known as St.
Elmo’s Fire flickering along the Hindenburg’s back. That static charge triggered an explosion in
the heart of the ship, causing the Hindenburg to go up in flames. For more information and
video clips on What destroyed the Hindenburg check out:
http://dsc.discovery.com/search.htm?terms=hindenburg