Addison Bain is a retired NASA scientist and founding member of the National Hydrogen Association who is credited with postulating the Incendiary Paint Theory ( IPT ) , which posits that the Hindenburg disaster was caused by the electrical ignition of lacquer - and metal-based paints used on the outer hull of the airship . Thus Bain believes that the hydrogen in the airship had no part to play in the initiation of the disaster . This theory , which was proposed in 1997 and recently updated in his 2004 book , '' The Freedom Element : Living with Hydrogen '' , has been generally accepted by people interested in promoting hydrogen as a transportation fuel , and generally rejected by people involved with airships and their history
Hindenburg disaster
Hindenburg disaster
Addison Bain