Tom Brown, Ph.D. ,  Associate Professor of Science Education

The Hindenburg Mystery

What would you do if your blimp blew up? 

On May 6th, 1937, a mighty 800 foot long blimp called the Hindenburg caught fire and crashed killing 36 people in this famous flaming tragedy.  But who or what ignited the blimp remains a mystery though several theories have been proposed.  Many people believe that this German made blimp was sabotaged by people who opposed the Nazi regime that had recently gained power.  Others maintain it was lightening that ignited the giant airship. More recently, some scientists theorize that a build-up of static electricity that generated a spark sufficient to get things going.  

As far as what actually burned in this tragedy, it has long been assumed that it was the hydrogen in the blimp that ignited and fueled the blast. Unlike helium, which is chemically stable and unreactive, hydrogen is reactive and is loaded with stored energy.  It would seem as though hydrogen is the obvious culprit.  Using the link below, view the pictures and video of this disaster and see if you think it was the hydrogen that exploded.  Real Video or Quicktime is required.

 While the video (and audio) footage is dramatic, it has also allowed people to reevaluate whether or not hydrogen was actually responsible for the fire. Analysis of the videotape has revealed that the color and direction of the flames produced in the fire were not not consistent with burning hydrogen which usually burns upward in a light blue to colorless flame.  In addition, the fact that the blimp remained largely intact suggests that the ultra-powerful hydrogen may not have ignited.  New evidence now points to the outer-coating of the blimp that has since been found to be extremely flammable.  After viewing the video, what do you think?