Its sister ship, the Graf Zepplin, had flown one and a half million kilometers and it had carried 13,100 passengers without incident.
The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen, which is highly flammable gas, and every safety precaution had been taken to prevent accidents.
It has a smoking room which was pressurized in order to prevent gas from ever entering it.
The cigarette lighters were chained to the tables and both passengers and crew were searched for matches before entering the ship.
Special materials, which were used in the construction of the airship, had been chosen to minimize the possibility of accidental sparks, which might cause an explosion.
Nobody knows the exact cause of the Hindenburg disaster.
Sabotage has been suggested, but experts at the time believed that it was caused by leaking gas which was ignited by static electricity.
It had been waiting to land for three hours because of heavy thunder storms.
The explosion happened just as the first mooring rope, which was wet, touched the ground.
Observers saw the first flames appear near the the tail, and they began to spread quickly along the hull.
There were a number of flashes as the hydrogen-filled compartments exploded.
The airship sank to the ground. The most surprising thing is that 62 people managed to escape.
The fatalities were highest among the crew, many of whom were working deep inside the airship.
After the Hindenburg disaster, all airships were grounded and until recently, they have never been seriously considered as a commercial proposition.