Hindenburg Tragedy Relived: Grandson Of Captain Crashes Toy Plane On 75th Anniversary

Gordon Pruss, grandson of Hindenburg captain Max Pruss, endured a new wave of tragedy when he navigated a toy plane into an explosive nosedive on the 75th anniversary of the epic disaster.

Captain Max Pruss, 1937

On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg airship burst into flames over a New Jersey field with Pruss at the helm, remaining a source of mystery and fascination. The younger Pruss likewise presided in time of iconic disaster.

Gordon Pruss, 2012

The Hindenburg was one of the first disasters caught on film, thanks to newsreel coverage. It had an unmistakable effect on the masses (it doomed travel by airship) and remains one of the most iconic moments of the 20th century. Reporter Herbert Morrison's reaction, "Oh, the humanity," quickly became the stuff of legend.

Hindenburg flies over New Jersey, 1937

 One theory states that the Hindenburg's fabric was highly flammable. However, according to Airships.net, "scientific studies show that the Hindenburg's covering might not have been flammable at all." So, then why the explosion? Was it due to hydrogen gas mixing with oxygen? Was there too much static electricity?

Brody Special flies over backyard, 2012

The 2012 crash left less to the imagination, as the panicky captain began contorting the remote control wildly about in both hands during a desperate and futile attempt to keep his 4-year old son's birthday plane, the "Brody Special," from detonating on its maiden voyage.

Pruss, who survived the incident, speculated that Korean craftsmanship or unseasonal winds were to blame as Brody screamed tearfully nearby.

Like the death of JFK, everybody's got a theory.

Investigations conducted by authorities were ultimately inconclusive.

Port officials inspect Hindenburg remains, 1937

Some believe the 1937 explosion was the result of sabotage. Indeed, the Hindenburg was decorated with Nazi swastikas and was a symbol of the regime's rising power. According to Aerospaceweb.org, "a non-profit site operated by engineers and scientists in the aerospace field," a crew member was "named as the most likely saboteur" at first, due in part to his girlfriend's connections to an anti-Nazi organization: "He was an amateur photographer acquainted with flashbulbs, and some theorize he used one of these bulbs powered by the battery as an ignition source to start the catastrophic fire."

The crew member died in the explosion, and was never officially blamed. The theory, says Aerospaceweb.org, has "been largely discounted."

Pruss' wife Taylor was similarly reluctant to rule sabotage in as a viable option. "He had to talk me into buying that plane for him," she explained through pursed lips. I told him that flying wasn't his family's strong suit.

No legal action is planned, but Pruss is charged with returning to the toy store for "something that you can't ruin."