Editing USS Akron (section)

==="Coast-to-coast" flight and second accident (May 1932)===
[[File:ZRS-4 USS Akron Cover 1932.jpg|thumb|left|Cover carried on the May 1932 "Coast to Coast" flight and later autographed by the only three survivors of the April 1933 crash of USS ''Akron'']]

Following the conclusion of those trial flights, ''Akron'' departed from Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 8 May 1932, for the American West Coast. The airship proceeded down the eastern seaboard to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and then across the southern Gulf Coast states, continuing over Texas and [[Arizona]]. En route to [[Sunnyvale, California]], ''Akron'' reached [[Camp Kearny]] in San Diego on the morning of 11 May and attempted to moor. Since neither trained ground handlers nor specialized [[mooring mast|mooring]] equipment were present, the landing at Camp Kearny was fraught with danger. By the time the crew started the evaluation, the helium gas had been warmed by sunlight, increasing lift. Lightened by {{convert|40|ST|t|abbr=on}}, the amount of fuel spent during the transcontinental trip, ''Akron'' was now uncontrollably light.<ref name=rs/>{{rp|56–57}}
[[File:Akron incident 11 may32.jpg|thumb|right|Still pictures from 11 May 1932 incident: The two pictures on the left and the picture at far right are of Seaman Cowart; the picture second from right shows Henton and Edsall before their fatal fall.]]

The mooring cable was cut to avert a catastrophic nose-stand by the errant airship, which floated upwards. Most of the mooring crew—predominantly "boot" seamen from the [[Naval Training Center San Diego|Naval Training Station San Diego]]—released their lines, although four did not. One let go at about {{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}} and suffered a broken arm, while the three others were carried further aloft. Of these, Aviation Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Edsall and Apprentice Seaman Nigel M. Henton soon plunged to their deaths while Apprentice Seaman C. M. "Bud" Cowart held on to his line and then secured himself to it<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jeffwise.net/2013/01/19/mind-traps-the-fatal-mistake-of-hanging-on-too-long-update/ |title=Mind Traps: The fatal mistake of hanging on too long – Update |website=Jeff Wise |date=19 January 2013 |access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref> before being hoisted on board the airship an hour later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/ac-usn22/z-types/zrs4-k.htm |title=USN Aircraft-USS Akron (ZRS-4) – Events |publisher=History.navy.mil |access-date=24 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205004711/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/ac-usn22/z-types/zrs4-k.htm |archive-date=5 February 2012 }}</ref> ''Akron'' moored at Camp Kearny later that day before proceeding to [[Sunnyvale, California]]. Footage from the accident appears in the film ''Encounters with Disaster'', released in 1979 and produced by [[Sunn Classic Pictures|Sun Classic Pictures]].