Date:	Sunday 18 August 1996
Time:	08:30 UTC
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Trustees of the P & D Group
Registration:	G-ANPK
MSN:	3571
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Jaywick Sands, near Clacton Airfield, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Clacton Airfield, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex (EGSQ)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 3571 (Gipsy Major #80011); Taken on charge as L6936 at Scottish Aviation Ltd/12 E&RFTS Prestwick in 1937. Unit renamed 12 EFTS upon outbreak of war 3.9.39. To 17 EFTS RAF Westwood, Peterborough 23.11.41. To 15 EFTS RAF Carlisle, Cumberland 26.5.42. To 2 EFTS RAF Worcester 31.7.42. To Lundy & Atlantic Coast for repairs 17.5.43; to 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Chippenheam, Wiltshire upon completion of repairs 26.6.43. To Pilotless Aircraft Unit, RAF Manorbier 17.9.43 for conversion to Queen Bee unpiloted target drone; not used as such, and delivered to Lundy & Atlantic Coast for repairs 7.12.43. To 21 EFTS RAF Booker, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 8.1.44. To 33 MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 10.9.46. To RAF St Eval, Cornwall 24.7.50. To RAF Pembroke Dock 17.8.51. To 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire 16.4.53 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 5.10.53 to Association of British Aero Clubs. UK civil registered as G-ANPK (C of R R4531/1) on 5.4.54 to Thomas Hutton Marshall, operated by Christchurch Aero Club, Christchurch, Dorset. C of A issued 4.6.58. Registration cancelled 30.6.61 and re-registered (C of R R4531/2) on 10.7.61 to James Clive Lisle Sampson & Edward Nigel Campbell Sampson, South Gorley, Fordingbridge, Hampshire (aircraft based at their home strip). Registration cancelled 30.7.62 and re-registered (C of R R4531/3) on 8.8.62 to The Wiltshire School of Flying Ltd, Thruxton, Andover, Hampshire. Registration cancelled 1.3.65 and re-registered (C of R R4531/4) 9.3.65 to Malcolm Francis Ogilvie-Forbes, Hurstbourne Tarrant (based at Thruxton, Andover, Hampshire).

C of A lapsed 22.7.67; on overhaul at Thruxton in 10.67. Registration cancelled 18.8.69 and CAA advised aircraft sold 23.10.69; re-registered (C of R R4531/5) 4.11.69 to John Russell Brittain, Marlborough, Wiltshire (aircraft remained based at Thruxton, Andover, Hampshire). Registration cancelled 25.6.71 and re-registered (C of R R4531/6) 29.6.71 to Arthur Vernon Horsey, Whitchurch, Hants (remained based at Thruxton). Registration cancelled 25.2.72 as sold. Registration restored (C of R R4531/7) on 7.3.73 to Arthur Horton Luscombe, Castle Eaton, Swindon, Wiltshire. Sold 1.76 to Jack Benson, Corner Garage, Ardley [frame stored 9.76]. Registration cancelled 21.1.80 and re-registered (C of R G-ANPK/R8) on 24.3.80 to John William [Jack] Benson, Ardley, Bicester, Oxfordshire. Sold 3.83 (but not re-registered as such) to Mike Abbott & Reg J W Wood, Mirfield. Registration cancelled and re-registered (C of R G-ANPK/R9) on 13.11.84 to David Edward Partridge, t/a The P & D Group, Rayne Hill Farm, Rayne, Chelmsford, Essex. (Confirmed by CAA 12.8.85) Rebuild completed; CofA renewed 11.7.91

Written off (destroyed) 18.8.96: Engine failed during climb after take-off, stalled and crashed onto the Jaywick Sands, near Clacton Airfield, Essex injuring 2 on the ground. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"On the day of the accident the privately owned aircraft was leased to a company which sells flying lessons in Tiger Moths. One of the company's instructors had intended to fly the aircraft solo to another airfield where the lessons were conducted.

On commencing the take-off run, the engine reached the usual speed of around 2,000 RPM and the take off proceeded normally. The aircraft became airborne at between 45 and 50 knots but during the climb, at a height between 150 and 200 feet, the engine suddenly stopped producing power and started to splutter. The engine alternately spluttered and recovered to near full power for a few seconds before stopping completely. When the problem first started, the aircraft was in the area of the Clacton airfield boundary. Along the extended runway centre line the distance between the boundary and the shore is some 600 metres.

An elevated coastal footpath crosses the extended centre line almost at right angles to it. The seaward side of the path is bounded by a continuous masonry wall about three feet high. At the time of the accident, two ladies were walking a dog along the path in the direction of Clacton to Jaywick and they were close to the extended centre line when the Tiger Moth took off.

The pilot stated that when the engine faltered, her first choice for a forced landing was the one fairway on the golf course which was parallel to, and beside, the coastal path, but at the time it was populated by golfers. Her second choice was the beach but that had "the same problem with people everywhere".

Another option was to land in the sea, but she judged that she could not "reach far enough out to sea to guarantee not to hit any swimmers". She also stated that seeing nowhere to land she maintained heading but the aircraft stalled just before the sea wall. She reported that the left wing dropped and the aircraft fell to the ground in a nose-down attitude hitting the sea wall nose-first."

Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". Despite this assessment, stored and on planned rebuild at Dunkirk Farm, Canterbury [in 1.97]. Re-registered (C of R G-ANPK/R10 19.11.99 to Andrew David Hodgkinson, Dartford, Kent (based Dunkirk Farm, Canterbury). On rebuild by Hodge Air, Thruxton [2002]. Registration G-ANPK cancelled 7.1.2003 by CAA as "Addressee - Gone Away". Re-registered (C of R G-ANPK/R11) on 10.5.2011 to same owner (now of Doddington, March, Cambridgeshire). Currently registered; rebuild status uncertain.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1977)
2. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fdfced915d1374000927/DH82A_Tiger_Moth__G-ANPK_02-97.pdf
3. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ANPK-1.pdf
4. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ANPK-2.pdf
5. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ANPK-3.pdf
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p035.html
8. http://www.ukserials.com/losses_civil.htm
9. Tiger Moth G-ANPK at Duxford 2.6.96: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/148266/G-ANPK
10. Tiger Moth G-ANPK (various photos 1964-1996): https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/G-ANPK?f=&sort=date_taken_formatted&order=asc
11. https://www.key.aero/comment/1573543#comment-1573543
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywick

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
31-Aug-2008 01:34	JINX	Updated
26-May-2013 23:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Jun-2016 16:22	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Jan-2022 21:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
22-Jan-2022 21:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]