In 1937, passenger airplanes couldn’t go far. To cross an ocean, most people took a ship. The trip took between 5 and 10 days.

    But then came zeppelins!

    The Hindenburg was big. It was as tall as a 12-story building. It was longer than two football fields. It could cross the ocean in just two-and-a-half days. People stayed in fancy rooms. They ate gourmet meals.

    The views were great too. Zeppelins flew closer to the ground than airplanes did.

    This ride wasn’t cheap. One ticket cost $450. That’s about $9,300 today. Most passengers were business leaders and celebrities. But workers like Werner got to go too. 

    In 1937, passenger airplanes couldn’t go long distances. To cross an ocean, most people traveled by ship—a trip that took between 5 and 10 days.

    But then came zeppelins!

    The Hindenburg was huge—as tall as a 12-story building and longer than two football fields. Its four motors could carry it across the ocean in only two-and-a-half days. Passengers stayed in fancy rooms and feasted on gourmet meals.

    There were also incredible views. Zeppelins flew much closer to the ground than airplanes did. Passengers would stand at the ship’s big windows and look down.

    Naturally, this thrilling experience was expensive. One ticket cost $450, which is equal to about $9,300 today. Most of the passengers were business leaders and celebrities, but lucky workers like Werner got to enjoy the journey too. 

    The May 1937 flight was Werner’s fifth trip on the Hindenburg. When he wasn’t washing dishes, he explored the ship.

    The ship had 16 large “gas cells.” These were bags of hydrogen gas. They helped lift the ship into the sky.

    Hydrogen is one of the most flammable gases on Earth. A spark could cause an explosion. Werner tried not to think of that.

    The Hindenburg was known to be safe. German zeppelins had flown more than         1 million miles without an accident. 

    The May 1937 flight was Werner’s fifth trip on the Hindenburg. When he wasn’t washing dishes, he explored the amazing aircraft.

    Much of the space inside the ship’s body was taken up by 16 large “gas cells”—bags of hydrogen gas that helped lift the zeppelin into the sky.

    Werner tried to put the dangers of hydrogen, one of the most flammable gases on Earth, out of his mind. Combined with this gas, the smallest spark could cause an explosion.

    Still, the Hindenburg was known for its safety. German zeppelins had flown more than 1 million miles without a single accident.

    On Sunday evening, the Hindenburg prepared to land in New Jersey. Families and friends of passengers waited in a field.

    The ship began to drop from the sky. Kids in the crowd cheered.

    Then a small flame appeared at the back of the zeppelin. People in the crowd stared. A few turned to run. And then . . .

    Kaboom!

    The hydrogen ignited.

    On Sunday evening, as the Hindenburg prepared to land in New Jersey, families and friends of passengers waited in a big field.

    Slowly, the aircraft began to drop from the sky. Children in the crowd cheered.

    Then a small flame appeared at the rear of the zeppelin. People in the crowd stared. A few of them turned to flee, and . . .

    Kaboom!

    The hydrogen ignited.

    Werner heard the explosion. He saw a wall of fire racing toward him.

    He tried to run. But the front of the ship jerked up. He fell down. He slid toward the fire. He thought he would burst into flames.

    But then, splash!

    Water poured from a burst tank. It soaked him. The water was cool. It cleared his mind.

    Werner stood up. He saw a door in the side of the ship. He kicked it open. How close to the ground was the ship? He didn’t know. But he had no choice. If he stayed, he would die.

    He jumped out into the flaming sky. 

    When Werner heard the explosion, he turned and saw a wall of fire racing toward him.

    He started to run away, but the front of the airship jerked upward. Werner crashed to the floor and slid back toward the fire, feeling certain he would burst into flames.

    But then, splash!

    Water poured down from a burst tank above and soaked Werner, cooling his body and clearing his mind.

    Standing up, Werner noticed a small door in the side of the ship and kicked it open. He couldn’t tell how close the ship was to the ground, but he had no choice. If he stayed, he would die.

    So Werner jumped out into the flaming sky. 

    It took just 32 seconds for the Hindenburg to crash to the ground. Of the 97 people on board, 35 lost their lives.

    Even now, no one knows for sure what caused the disaster. But most experts believe there must have been a small leak in one of the gas cells. 

    Movie cameras had filmed the disaster. Within weeks, millions around the world had seen it. People stopped flying on zeppelins. 

    As for Werner, he was the luckiest kid in the world. When he jumped from the ship, it was close to the ground. 

    Shortly after the crash, Werner went home to Germany. Later, he got married and had a family. He lived to the age of 92. And he never forgot how close he came to dying on that night in 1937. 

    “I was grateful for everything I was allowed to experience after that,” he said. 

    It took just 32 seconds for the Hindenburg to crash to the ground. There were 97 people on board. Thirty-five of them died.

    What caused the disaster? It isn’t clear. But most experts say there must have been a leak in one of the gas cells.

    Movie cameras filmed the crash. Millions of people saw it. People stopped flying on zeppelins.

    And what about Werner? He was the luckiest kid in the world. When he jumped from the ship, it was close to the ground.

    Werner went home to Germany. Later, he got married. He had a family. He lived to the age of 92. And he never forgot how close he came to dying on that night in 1937.

    “I was grateful for everything I was allowed to experience after that,” he said. 

    It took only 32 seconds for the Hindenburg to crash to the ground. Of the 97 people on board, 35 lost their lives.

    Even now, no one knows for certain what caused the disaster—but most experts agree that there was probably a small leak in one of the zeppelin’s gas cells.

    Movie cameras had filmed the disaster, and soon millions around the world had viewed the footage. People stopped flying on zeppelins.

    As for Werner, he was indeed the luckiest kid in the world. When he jumped from the aircraft, it was fairly close to the ground.

    Shortly after the crash, Werner went home to Germany. Later, he got married and had a family. He lived to the age of 92, and he never forgot how close he came to dying on that night in 1937.

    “I was grateful for everything I was allowed to experience after that,” he said.