Akron had burned substantial fuel during the coast-to-coast flight when sunlight warmed the helium and increased her lift. As the airship rose, most handlers escaped, but one man suffered a broken arm after letting go at about fifteen feet and three others were carried higher. Two fell to their deaths; the remaining man secured himself to his line and was hoisted aboard about an hour later. Lakehurst's heavy mooring equipment offered restraints that were unavailable at this operating location. The accident made ground-handling infrastructure a direct limit on where an otherwise long-range airship could operate safely.
Notable Point · 1:23:45-1:26:37
Why Akron lifted its ground handlers at Camp Kearny
Fuel consumed on the transcontinental flight and helium warmed by sunlight left Akron unexpectedly buoyant, exposing the danger of handling a large airship without Lakehurst's restraints.