1935: USS Macon Airship Crash
Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command
The helium-filled airship USS Macon crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 1935. Eighty-three sailors were on the airship, and all but two sailors survived due to the new inflatable life jackets that were on board. The effectiveness of inflatable life jackets in this crash led to the adopted use of inflatable life jackets in aviation.