◆ SpookStack

rid 70-16 or The airship approached the airport at about 6:25 Pelle, Bastern Standard Time, (7:25 pom. Eastern Daylight Saving Time), and made a sharp turn to the starboard, was not unusual which was mot unusual. In Commander Hosendahl's opinion, tne approach was normel for a ship inflated with hydrogen, end ti crew utilized the backing power. of the engines to check the approach of the ship, which is customary. The men in the ground crew had been instructed in groups, under their respective leaders, as to the handling of the ship on the ground. The crew on the airship dropped the landing ropes from the bow of the ship end they were immediately oonnect- ed to the ground lines. These lines were used to draw the ship into positi on for attaching the steel landins sable which is draw eS ee RR RR SFE RE A TE A CELL into the mooring mast. The approach was made at an elevation of -200 feet or less. Commander Rosendahl was located at the mooring mast and gave the necessary instructions as to the handling of the ground crew at this point. Ee indicated thet the wind blew to the westward when the ship reached the surface, and he believed the conditions were satisfactory in general, and they were proceeding in a normal manner to land the ship. About four minutes after the control ropes had connected with the ground, and woile tre mooring cable was being lowered but had not, as yet, rexched the ground, certain events occurred woich changed the normal landin; procedure. The nose of the ship was about 50 feet from the circular track, which is 671 feet from the mooring mast. The ship never got any closer to the mooring mast than this point. Commander Ro- sendahl indicated that at this time he saw a small burst of flame on the top of the ship, towards the stern, and, in his opinion, this indicated to him the doom of the ship. Immediately, the en- tire stern took fire, and after this initiel burst of flame the fire progressed forward. He said he expected more in the way of an explosion than was apparent, although he had never seen an airship inflated with hydrogen burn. There were several mild explosions and the ship was generally consumed by fire. Commander Rosendahl indicated that he had no knowledge of the origin of the fire. af- ter that, the stern of the ship continued to come dow, and there- after the front portion settled to the ground at a moderate rate of descent. os Commander Rosendahl ran from the vicinity and commanded the ground crew to do likewiee in order to avoid being caught under tne ship as it fell. ‘When the ship settled, the ground crew imned- ~ 2 =