It is reported that the giant American dirigible Akron crashed into the sea twenty miles off the New Jersey coast with a crew of 77 men aboard , including Rear Admiral William A Moffett , Chief of the bureau of Aeronautics of the US Navy . The German ship Phoebus rushed to the scene of the disaster and is reported to have picked up four survivors . Rear Admiral William A Moffett , who is believed to have been among the victims of the disaster . 4 April 1933