Date:	Sunday 15 May 2011
Time:	14:45
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Trustee of the G-AOIL Tiger Moth Group
Registration:	G-AOIL
MSN:	83673
Year of manufacture:	1940
Engine model:	De Havilland Gipsy Major I
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Witchampton, Near Moor Crichel, north of Wimborne Minster, Dorset. -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Compton Abbas, Dorset (EGHA)
Destination airport:	Compton Abbas, Dorset (EGHA)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 83673; Taken on charge as T7363 at 46 MU RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire 25.9.40. To 11 EFTS RAF Perth/Scone, Perthshire 12.12.40. [Shown as sent to Southern Aicraft, Gatwick for repairs 29.2.41; probably clerical error]. To 4 EFTS RAF Brough, East Yorkshire 6.5.41 later coded "FHO-K". To 33 MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 24.9.46 for long-term storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 3.9.53 to Transair Ltd. UK civil registered as G-AOIL (C of R R5671/1) on 20.8.56 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth Airport, Portsmouth, Hampshire. C of A issued 5.10.56. Registration G-AOIL cancelled 5.10.56 as sold to Admiralty (via W.S Shackleton Ltd, Piccadilly, London W1).

Delivered to Royal Navy as XL716 (contemporary 1956 serial' previous RAF serial appears to have been overlooked; the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm bought four ex-civil Tiger Moths in 1956 as XL714-XL717 ). Taken on charge by Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy at Roborough, Plymouth, Devon 12.10.56. To HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath. To spares at RNAS Arbroath 8.1.60. Struck off charge 16.1.62.

To No.2365 Squadron ATC, Commerce St, Brechin, Angus later in 1962 as instructional airframe. To Northern Aircraft Preservation Society, Peel Green, Salford, Lancashire. To Shuttleworth Trust, Old Warden, Bedfordshire 12.71. To Mosquito Museum, London Colney, Hertfordshire (by 7.75). Reportedly as spares to Maurice Brett, Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 1976, but also reported that rear the fuselage of XL716 was used in Mosquito Museum rebuild [by 3.80]. Reported on static rebuild [1981] by James O'Sullivan, North Mymms, Herforshire - possibly for Mosquito Museum.

Registration G-AOIL restored (C of R G-AOIL/R2) 15.5.87 to Mrs Joan Olive Souch, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire (aircraft based at Sarisbury Green). Re-registered (C of R G-AOIL/R3) 22.8.89 to Terence Carmody [Joe] Lawless, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire, and on rebuild by Chilbolton Aviation late 1989 [still there 2.91].

Rebuilt by Crofton Aviation, Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire and first reflown after rebuild 28.7.99. CofA renewed 18.9.99; aircraft based at Popham, Hampshiure; painted in 1957-era colours as 'XL716'. Re-registered (C of R G-AOIL/R4) 21.11.2000 to Joseph William Lawless, Popham/Lee-on-Solent. Sold 12.2002 and re-registered (C of R G-AOIL/R5) 2.1.03 to Clive David Davidson, Warminster, Wiltshire, later Shaftesbury. Dorset (a.k.a Plus 6G Ltd) as trustee G-AOIL Tiger Moth Group (based Compton Abbas). Re-registered (C of R G-AOIL/R6) 17.1.11 to Timothy David Le Mesurier, trustee G-AOIL Tiger Moth Group, Gillingham, Dorset (aircraft based at Compton Abbas).

Written off (destroyed) on 15.5.2011, The Tiger Moth crashed in a field at White Farm, Witchampton, near Moor Crichel, north of Wimborne Minster, Dorset. Witnesses said it appeared the aircraft was undertaking aerobatics shortly before crashing. Both occupants received serious injuries and were airlifted to hospital. One of them died overnight. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"The aircraft took off at 13:56 hours, and after leaving the circuit, flew in a generally southerly direction at an altitude of between 1,600 and 2,200 feet. At 14:04 hours, when the aircraft was 3 nautical miles north-west of Tarrant Rushton Visual Reference Point (VRP), the pilot turned onto a south-easterly track and contacted Bournemouth Radar.

He requested permission to transit into the Bournemouth Control Zone to Broadstone and to make two circuits there at 2,000 feet. The Bournemouth radar controller instructed the pilot to remain clear of controlled airspace and advised that it was very busy. The controller said he would call him back if it was possible to accept him, but subsequently, after determining that the aircraft was not fitted with a transponder, the controller advised that the aircraft could not be accepted.

The pilot continued on a south-easterly track for approximately two minutes, then turned to the left through 180 degrees and flew in a north-westerly direction. Observers on the ground described seeing the aircraft climb up and reach the top of a loop, before they saw it enter a spin. The spin continued through a number of turns until the aircraft struck the ground.

The accident manoeuvre was performed in the same location that the pilot had completed a loop on the previous flight, near to the house of a friend. This friend was out walking his dog and saw the accident. He ran over to the site, a distance of about 500 metres, and gave first aid assistance to the two people on board. Both were seriously injured and trapped in the wreckage but he was able to keep them breathing until an air ambulance arrived. They were treated at the scene before being flown to local hospitals. The passenger died later that evening as a result of his injuries."

Witchampton is a village and civil parish in East Dorset, England, situated on the River Allen 5 miles (8 km) north of Wimborne Minster.

Nature of Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a result, the registration G-AOIL was cancelled by the CAA on 23.8.2011 as "Permanently withdrawn from use"

As a postscript, the surviving member of the crew of faced a court appearance on charges of manslaughter (see links #12 & #13):

"A pilot has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a former Royal Marine who died in a biplane crash in East Dorset. Scott Hoyle, of Charborough Road, Broadstone, has denied responsibility for the death of Orlando Rogers, 26, who was the passenger of a vintage de Havilland Tiger Moth that crashed in Witchampton on May 15 2011.

He appeared at Winchester Crown Court this morning to enter the plea, and a trial is expected to begin in March next year". [2015]. The 47-year-old was at the controls of the plane when it crashed in a field. He was cut free from the wreckage and taken to hospital. Mr Rogers, a veteran of tours in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, died of his injuries".

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. AAIB Bulletin: 6/2012 G-AOIL EW/C2011/05/02: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5423042e40f0b61342000b59/DH82A_Tiger_Moth_G-AOIL_06-12.pdf
3. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AOIL.pdf
4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8515100/Two-men-seriously-injured-after-Tiger-Moth-crash-in-rural-Dorset-field.html
5. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9028489.Two_men_seriously_injured_in_plane_crash/
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-13406271
7. https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/451666-tiger-moth-crash.html
8. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1387386/Pilot-passenger-pulled-alive-wreckage-WWII-fighter-crash-following-stunt.html
9. http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=287&t=33627
10. http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/9031106.Poole_man_dies_after_Tiger_Moth_plane_crash/
11. https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=2440
12. http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2014/08/pilot-pleads-not-guilty-to-manslaughter.html
13. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11398019.tiger-moth-pilot-pleads-not-guilty-to-manslaughter-of-former-royal-marine/
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchampton

De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth II G-AOIL at Compton Abbas on 29 June 2003:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-May-2011 11:27	sharla	Added
15-May-2011 12:23	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
15-May-2011 14:44	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative]
16-May-2011 06:16	RobertMB	Updated [Total fatalities, Narrative]
15-Sep-2012 16:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
29-Nov-2016 18:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
09-Feb-2022 17:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]