The Goodyear Blimp Crashed in New York

The Goodyear Blimp Crashed in New York

Eyewitnesses described the shocking scene as the airship, battling intense winds, lost control and careened into nearby structures before coming to a devastating halt

But wait—before you start texting your group chats in all caps, let’s take a step back.

The Goodyear Blimp Columbia met a catastrophic fate in Queens, New York, marking a tragic moment in early airship aviation.

What started as a routine sightseeing flight over the city quickly turned into chaos when powerful gusts of wind—reaching up to 60 mph—made landing nearly impossible. The Columbia, a 141-foot-long, non-rigid airship, had successfully completed three earlier flights that day, but its luck ran out on its final descent.

How It Went Down.

As the blimp struggled against heavy winds, it attempted to land at Holmes Airport in Jackson Heights. After realizing the ground crew of six wasn’t enough, Chief mechanic John Blair dropped a wrench with a handwritten plea for help.

The Columbia circled Flushing Bay for over an hour, hoping for backup or calmer winds, but dwindling fuel reserves forced an attempt at landing.

As it descended, the wind battered the airship, sending it careening into a warehouse, knocking two men off the roof.

The chaos continued as it crashed through power lines and a gravel company before finally coming to a rest on the Long Island Rail Road tracks.

The crash was as dramatic as it was tragic.

The Columbia’s pilot, Prescott Dixon, was trapped in the wreckage until onlookers rushed to free him.

Sadly, John Blair did not survive, while Dixon and the warehouse workers escaped with minor injuries.

The blimp's remains were soon shipped back to Akron, Ohio, and just months later, Goodyear accelerated the construction of its next airship, Resolute.

In 2025, Goodyear Blimps are celebrating 100 years of flight, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

The airship continues to be a familiar and reliable sight at sporting events and celebrations—but back in the day, they were cutting-edge and sometimes, as history proves, dangerously experimental.