First Goodyear Blimp Fatality In 85 Years

(Special thanks to blimp expert Robert McArthur.)

Above, the "Spirit of Safety."

The first Goodyear blimp fatality in 85 years occurred Sunday in Germany.

The Goodyear blimp was ironically named "The Spirit of Safety."



The DAPD news agency reported:

Photographer Joachim Storch told media that the blimp — The Spirit of Safety — missed its designated landing spot at Reichelsheim airfield in central Germany on Sunday evening, causing its engine to slam into the ground.

The pilot yelled "We had an accident!" followed by "I crashed the airship!" as the smell of fire crept through the blimp, Storch told the DAPD news agency on Monday.

Storch and two other passengers, a man and woman from a TV crew, leapt 7 feet (2 meters) to safety.

The sudden loss of weight caused the ship to shoot into the air, where it burst into flames, killing the pilot who remained in the cabin.

The gasoline-powered engine caught fire after hitting the ground. The fire then spread to the helium-filled envelope.