The tragic destruction of the LZ 129 Hindenburg on May 6, 1937, at Naval Air Station Lakehurst was not merely an accident, but the fatal outcome of subtle electrostatic dynamics during adverse weather conditions. As the massive airship passed through a turbulent rain front, her outer fabric skin accumulated a massive static electric charge. The airship's cotton outer cover had been coated with cellulose acetate butyrate and aluminum powder to reflect sunlight, rendering it highly non-conductive relative to the internal duralumin metal skeleton.
When the ground crew dropped the wet landing lines to the muddy airfield, the framework was suddenly grounded, creating a sharp voltage differential between the outer fabric and the inner frame. Moments prior to the mooring attempt, a stressed cell had begun venting hydrogen near the upper vertical fin. As the landing ropes touched ground, a visible brush discharge or static spark jumped across the gap between the charged outer skin and the newly grounded metal frame.
This microscopic spark instantly ignited the leaking hydrogen, engulfing the giant vessel in flames within 32 seconds and ending the era of commercial passenger airships.