Shenandoah Crashes: Early Airship Tragedy Claims 14
The USS Shenandoah had been warned about dangerous weather over Ohio but flew into it anyway on September 3, 1925 — and a squall tore her apart at 2,100 feet, splitting the airship into three sections in mid-air. Commander Zachary Lansdowne was thrown from the control car and killed. But here's the part that stays with you: several crew members in the detached bow section actually survived by valving gas to slow their descent and riding the wreckage down. The ship was destroyed. Some of the men flew it to the ground anyway.
September 3, 1925
101 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 3
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