Goodyear Blimp Crashes in Germany, Heroic Pilot Saves Three Before Dying

Tragedy and bittersweet heroics combined to make one gripping story:

An airship pilot died Sunday when the dual engines on his Goodyear airship burst into flames during a landing in Germany, Spiegel reported.

The airship’s three passengers managed to escape because the pilot, Mike Narandzic, urged them to jump out of the cabin when it was less than 7 feet off the ground, the paper reported. But after the passengers leaped to safety, the airship was soon engulfed in flames and soared to 150 feet due to the loss of weight in the cabin.

There is speculation that the airship’s propellers may have hit the ground too hard during the landing. Der Spiegel also cited media reports that indicated there had been a smell of fuel aboard the airship during the trip.

"We could also hear the cries of the doomed pilot as the fire surrounded him," one eyewitness said, according to the Daily Mail. "It was terrible."

Please bookmark!