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fad 22 “ Part Ill.—The landing mancuver—Con. Altitudes at landing, Piegizic installations, dd Part 1V.—tThe fire. Ground log. Description of landing. Incidents before the Ore. Fluttering of outer cover. Stroin on port trail rope. Sensations within the ship. Appearance of fire. Part V.—The combustible mixture and lts ignition. Sabotage. Accidental causes. Presence of combuatible mixture of hr- drogen and air. Accumulation through difusien or Faiiure’ of valve mechanisy: Decreaged ventilation. .f Entry of plece of propeller. Fracture of hull ‘wire. Major atructural failure. Ignition of the mixture. Mechanical, Chemical. Thermodynamic. Electrical. Spark in gas fullness or pressure in- dicator, Resonance effect—High-frequency in- ductance. Electrostatics, Ball Wotenina Bai MEDI Brush ‘discharge or St. Elmo’s Fire. Conclusion. Appendix I—Crew list. II.—Passenger list. Ill.—Track of Hindenburg over Lakehurst, May 6, 1937, with notes on maneu- vers. IV —Anemneranh thermoera ph, and imicrobarograph traces made at Lakehurst, May 6, 1937 In an order dated May 7, 1937, made by the Secretary of Commerce pur- suant to the Air Commerce Act of 1926, as amended, relating to the investiga. tion of accidents in civil air naviga- tion in the United States, South Trimble, Jr., solicitor, Maj. R. W. Schroeder, Assistant Director of the Bureau of Air Commerce, and Denis Mulligan, chief, Regulation and En- forcement Division of the Bureau of Air Commerce, all of the Department of Commerce, were designated to in- vestigate the facts, conditions and cir- cumstances of the accident involving the airship Hindenburg, which occur- red on May 6, 1987, at the naval air station, Lakehurst, N. J., and to make a report thereon. Commander C. E. Rosendahl, United States Navy, Col. C. de F. Chandler, United States Army, Col. Ruch B. Lin- coln, United States Army, Col. Harold E. Hartney, technical adviser to the Tintted States Senate Committee on Commerce, Hon. Gill Robb Wilson, di- rector of aeronautics for the State of New Jersey, and Hon. Grover Loening, aeronautical adviser to the United States Maritime Commission, were des- ignated as technical advisers. Gen.-lt. ’ AIR OOMMERCE BULLETIN | | : | ! | Friedrich vu LBoetticher, German niill- tary attaché, was selected by the Ger- man Ambassador at the invitation of the Secretary of Commerce, ad an ob- server at the inve&étigation. Qn the fourth day of the hearings ate ee ee ey the members of the German Commis- sion appointed to investigate the acci- dent, including Dr. Hugo Eckener, Lt. Col, Joachim Breithaupt, Prof. Guenther Bock, Prof. Dr. Max Dieck- mann, Director Dr. Ludwig Duerr, and Staff Engineer Friedrich Hoffman, ap- peared and thereafter acted as ob- servera and testified as witnesses. The United States Navy Board of In- quiry was represented throughout the hearing by an observer. When the accident occurred, an aeronautical inspector of the Depart- ment of Commerce was present. Be fore midnight of the same day, other representatives of the Department reached the scene of the accident. After a preliminary inspection had been made, public hearings were held, from May 10 to May 28, in the main hangar at the naval air station, Lake- hursi, N, J., in Asbury Park, N. J., and in New York City. In addition to that provided by the Department's representatives, assist- ance was received from the United States Navy Department, Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Weather Bureau, Department of Agri- culture, National Bureau of Standards, Department of Commerce, New York City Police Department, and the Bu- reau of Explosives. Ariation com- panies, newspapermen, newsreel rep- resentatives, and photographers, many of whom were eye witnesses to the event, and others, furnished valuable information. Part I.—Introduction (NoTz—-All times reported herein, un- less otherwise indicated, are eastern standard time (E. 8. T.)] The airship Hindenburg was de- stroyed by fire at 4:25n.m, ES. T ere AE OD. ear oy Be ae May 6, 1987, at the naval air station, Lakehurst, N. J. Schedule The airship was completing its first win ee ee tn scheduled demonstration fight for the 1937 season, between Frankfurt, Ger- many, and Lakehurst. It had departed from Frankfurt about 8:15 p. m., G. M. T., Monday, May 3, and was due at Lakehurst on the morning of Thursday, May 6. It was due ont of Can ope eotmmepati mn F