An airship pilot died Sunday when the dual engines on his Goodyear airship burst into flames during a landing in Germany

An airship pilot died Sunday when the dual engines on his Goodyear airship burst into flames during a landing in Germany, Spiegel reported.

The airship’s three passengers managed to escape because the pilot, Mike Narandzic, urged them to jump out of the cabin when it was less than 7 feet off the ground, the paper reported. But after the passengers leaped to safety, the airship was soon engulfed in flames and soared to 150 feet due to the loss of weight in the cabin.

There is speculation that the airship’s propellers may have hit the ground too hard during the landing. Der Spiegel also cited media reports that indicated there had been a smell of fuel aboard the airship during the trip.

"We could also hear the cries of the doomed pilot as the fire surrounded him," one eyewitness said, according to the Daily Mail. "It was terrible."

Blimps are considered by many as the safest way to fly. This Goodyear blimp, an A-60, was filled with helium and had no danger of catching fire. But blimps have fuel lines and require internal pressure to maintain their shapes.

Nerandzic was a veteran airship who flew over 20 years. The native Australian has been called a hero since he ordered his passengers to jump while he manned the ship. When all seemed lost, he urged them to jump, saying, “We’re having a crash.”

The passengers included a photographer from Germany's Bild newspaper and two from RTL television, the Daily Mail reported.

The cause of the crash has not been determined,  but an investigation is underway.

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