Seventy-six years after the doomed zeppelin took flight, it was discovered that static electricity caused the Hindenburg to crash.
The announcement was made by a team of experts from the South West Research Institute, led by British engineer Jem Stansfield. The team says the airship became statically charged as a result of passing through an electrical storm. Afterwards, hydrogen gas passed into the ventilation system through a leaky valve. This resulted in the explosion and fire that killed 36 people.
"I think the most likely mechanism for providing the spark is electrostatic," Stansfield says. "That starts at the top, then the flames from our experiments would've probably tracked down to the center. With an explosive mixture of gas, that gave the whoomph when it got to the bottom."
At the time of the crash, which took place on May 6, 1937, investigators agreed that hydrogen gas had been ignited by a spark. They could not agree, however, on what caused the spark. This led to a slew of theories, many of which turned into books, including one that the ship was sabotaged. Some even believed that Adolf Hitler ordered its destruction.
The team debunked these theories through repeated tests. They built models of the airship and blew them up, as a result determining that a bomb was not the cause. They were also able to dismiss the theory that the paint on the Hindenburg had explosive elements. By coming to conclusive results from testing the 80-foot models, the researchers hope that many conspiracy theories regarding the explosion will be put to rest.
The crash of the Hindenburg essentially put an end to zeppelin travel. The disaster shocked those who viewed it through photographs and newsreels.
The researchers plan to reveal their findings in a documentary to be aired on Thursday March 7.
(Edited by Lois Heyman)
