The pilot of an airship was killed when the craft caught fire and crashed in western Germany on Sunday, AFP reported. Three passengers were able to leap to safety.
Photographer Joachim Storch, who was one of the passengers, told Germany's Bild newspaper that the pilot encountered difficulties as he was coming in to land. Storch and the other passengers jumped out of the craft when it was around two meters off the ground. The airship immediately shot upwards, gaining up to fifty meters in height, possibly due to the sudden loss of weight. The survivors then heard the screams of the pilot as the blimp was engulfed in flames.
The Herald Sun in Australia reported there was a strong odor of gasoline before the engines caught fire.
The golden age of airship travel came to an end in 1937 when the Hindenburg Zeppelin exploded above Lakehurst, N.J. The company did not build another commercial airship for 60 years, but last week we reported that an airship operator was offering passenger flights on a Zeppelin out of Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 06-13-2011).]
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11:02 AM
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avengador1 Member
Posts: 35468 From: Orlando, Florida Registered: Oct 2001
I have a friend who used to fly the Met Life Snoopy 2. I haven't talked to him about this yet but from what I know about the flight charastics of airships it is pretty safe to say that his passengers killed him by jumping out. A suddon loss of 500 or more lbs would make it impossible to control the ascent rate in such a short time.
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12:01 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
I have a friend who used to fly the Met Life Snoopy 2. I haven't talked to him about this yet but from what I know about the flight charastics of airships it is pretty safe to say that his passengers killed him by jumping out. A suddon loss of 500 or more lbs would make it impossible to control the ascent rate in such a short time.
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Storch and the other passengers jumped out of the craft when it was around two meters off the ground. The airship immediately shot upwards, gaining up to fifty meters in height, possibly due to the sudden loss of weight. The survivors then heard the screams of the pilot as the blimp was engulfed in flames.
It would appear their jumping definitely made the situation worse. Hard to say if the pilot would have survived had they stayed on board until it was on the ground.
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12:10 PM
Pyrthian Member
Posts: 29569 From: Detroit, MI Registered: Jul 2002
wouldn't just like any balloon once the main blimp got compromised shoot one direction due to the sudden escape of air? I dont think the sudden weight change alone would shoot it up.
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12:36 PM
blackrams Member
Posts: 32793 From: Covington, TN, USA Registered: Feb 2003
wouldn't just like any balloon once the main blimp got compromised shoot one direction due to the sudden escape of air? I dont think the sudden weight change alone would shoot it up.
No where near the same situation. The blimp is not pressured to anywhere near what a typical ballon is pressurized to. As far as the weight loss goes, take a nitrogen filled ballon on a stiing with just enough weight to keep teathered near the ground, now, cut the string and watch.
------------------ Ron
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12:41 PM
TommyRocker Member
Posts: 2808 From: Woodstock, IL Registered: Dec 2009
wouldn't just like any balloon once the main blimp got compromised shoot one direction due to the sudden escape of air? I dont think the sudden weight change alone would shoot it up.
These blimps use lighter than air principles to fly, not aerodynamics. You ever hold a beach ball under water then let it go?
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htexans1 Member
Posts: 9114 From: Clear Lake City/Houston TX Registered: Sep 2001
Originally posted by RACE: I haven't talked to him about this yet but from what I know about the flight charastics of airships it is pretty safe to say that his passengers killed him by jumping out. A suddon loss of 500 or more lbs would make it impossible to control the ascent rate in such a short time.
Seems that the pilot told the passengers to jump out, not that the passengers jumped out of their own accord and thus "killed" the pilot.
I noticed that you did a skillful job of editing out all the errors made in the original article describing zeppelins, airships and blimps. Well done as the original writer didn't have a clue, obfuscating the tragedy of the pilot losing his life.
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87antuzzi Member
Posts: 11151 From: Surrounded by corn. Registered: Feb 2009
I noticed that you did a skillful job of editing out all the errors made in the original article describing zeppelins, airships and blimps. Well done as the original writer didn't have a clue, obfuscating the tragedy of the pilot losing his life.
Only becouse there was an update added at the end of the story explaning thier mistake. Although I would love to take the credit, in good faith I cannot.
