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ar - AIR COMME’ fire which had moved from the stern for- ward but stated that such references to re- flections were peculiarly indefinite and uncertain. Of related interest to brush discharge was the opinion of witness Earle that in an at- mosphere of high humidity, static electricity could be attracted to the top pointa of the abip when the ship's mooring ropes came inte contact with the ground sufficient to case a spark to jwtep across the wixture of Rydrogen and air, saying that such would be possible if the ship waa in relatively glow motion, while gas was belong valved. placing a layer of gas between the ship and the damp atmosphere, The concentrated atmosphere between the cloud and the ship would reduce resistance te permit sparking and if the potential of the ship was the game as that of the ground there would’ be a possibility of sparking acroes; that It is easier to spark through bydrogen than through alr. ~ The meteorological recorda and related data of the investigation Were mage avall- able to Dr. W. J. Humphreys of the United States Weather Bureau. e had concluded after making a study of such material that, “a brush discharge, or several of them, very well might have occtitred on the ship after. not before, the landing ro came into eontact with the ground; that this brush discharge would have continued for some time: that it would have been invisible (he- ine in daylight}; that puch a discharge likely would have ignited any adequate! rich stream of Jeaking hydrogen that reach it; and that from the point of ignition the flame would have shot back to the leak. there quickly would have burnt a larger opening and set golnc a conflagration of great violence and rapidity.” Conclusion The cause of the accident was the ign!- tion of a mixture of free hydrogen and alr. Based upon the evidence, a leak at or in the vicinity of cells 4 and 5 caused a com- bustible mixture of hydrogen and air to form in the upper stern part of the ship in considerable quantity: the first appear- ance of an Gpen flame was on the top of the ship and a relatively short distance forward of the upper yertical fin. The theory that a brush discharge ignited such tmuixture appears most probable. Respectfully submitted, Sotto TrimMpre, Jk., Soticitor. R. W. ScHRoEvEr, Asst. Director, Bureau of Afr Commercc. Dexis MULLIGAN, Chief. Regulation and Enforcement Division, Bureau of Air Commerce. Approved : Dantet C. Roper, Secretary of Commerce. Appendix I Officers and crew on board the air- ship Hindenburg on {ts departure from Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, on 3a; 3, 1937, were as follows: *Capt. Ernst Lehmann. Capt. Max Prosa, commanding. "BULLETIN J 35 WATCH OFFICERS Albert Sammt. Heinrich Enver. Walter Ziegler. NAVIGATORS Max Zabel. Franz Hersor. *° Christian Niclren. Kurt Baver. RADIO OFFICERS *Willy Speck, chief radio operator. Herbert Dowe. *Franz Eichelmann. Egon Schwelkard. ENGINEERING OFFICERS Rudolf Sauter, chief engincer, Eugene Schaeuhle, *Wilhelm Dimmier. ELEVATORMEN "Ludwig Felber. *Ernst Huchel. Eduard Boetius, HELMSMEN *Alfred Bernhard. Helmut Lau Kurt Schoenherr. ELECTRICIANS Philip Lenz, chief electrician. Joseph Lelbrecht. *Ernst Schlapp. MECHANICS *Walter Bahnholzer. Eugen Bentele. *Rudy Biallas. August Deuts:hle. Jonny Toerflein. Adolf Fischer. *Albert Holderried., Richard_ Kollmer. *Robert_ Moser, *Alois Reisacher. Theodor Ritter. Raphael Sebaedler. *Willy Scheef, *Joseph Schreihmueller. Wilbelm Steeb. *Alfred Stoeckle. German Zettel. EIGGERS *Ludwig Knorr, chief rigger. Hana Freund, *Erich Spehl. BIEWABDS Heinrich Kubis. Wilhelm Balla. Fritz Deeg. Max Henneherg. Severin Klein. Eugen Nunnenmacher. *Max Schulze, Fran Imboff, stewardess. Dr, Ruediger, ship’s doctor, * Indicates those who died in accident.