Date:	Saturday 15 December 2012
Time:	18:30
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Richard Brougham
Registration:	VH-DDA
MSN:	DHA.169
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Luskintyre Airfield, Luskintyre, Hunter Valley, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Luskintyre Airfield, Luskintyre, Hunter Valley, NSW (YLSK)
Destination airport:	Luskintyre Airfield, Luskintyre, Hunter Valley, NSW (YLSK)
Investigating agency:	ATSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth MSN DHA.169; Built by DH Australia at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Taken on charge as A17-168 at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond 18.11.40. To 9 EFTS Cunderdin 9.12.40. Damaged on landing at Cunderdin 21.2.41; to RAAF Pearce 28.2.41 for repairs. To 25 Squadron, RAAF Pearce 14.9.41. To 9 EFTS Cunderdin 22.11.41. To 4 SFTS Geraldton 5.10.42. To 9 EFTS Cunderdin 23.4.45 for storage reserve; transferred to 86 OBU Cunderdin 11.6.45; to Care & Maintenance Unit 17.10.45; for sale 7.6.46.

Struck of RAAF charge when sold 2.12.46 for £30 to K Vine, Perth; issued 23.12.46. Australian civil registered as VH-AHL (C of R 1220) 24.3.47 to Keith J Vine, Perth, WA. Re-registered 20.8.47 to Merton M Collins, Mullewa, WA. Re-registered as VH-DDA 11.7.52 to David Gray & Co Ltd, West Perth, WA. Badly damaged when hit trees while crop-spraying near Toodyay, WA 15.4.54; repaired and returned to service. Badly damaged on landing Maylands, Brunswick Junction, WA 1.6.55; repaired and returned to service. Badly damaged in ground loop at Toodyay 16.2.56; presumed repaired. Re-registered 14.6.63 to H Ten Vaanholt, East Cannington, WA. Registration VH-DDA cancelled 14.10.63. Re-registered 12.7.76 to unknown party. Re-registered 1.6.77 to Flight Lieutenant Rod D M Lovell, Smithfield Plains, SA (moved to Rosanna, Victoria with effect from 2.5.78; then to Woodend, Vicytoria with effect from 11.6.80).

Substantially damaged 23.12.87 in a landing accident at Bankstown Airport, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. According to the summary of the ATSB report into the incident:

"The Private Pilot Licence holder was undergoing type endorsement training. During the third landing, on runway 29 Left, the aircraft commenced to swing to the right. The pilot in command reported that after checking that there were no obstructions he allowed the swing to continue. The student pilot was unable to stop the swing and as the aircraft turned through 40 degrees it began to skid, with the result that the landing gear folded. The aircraft is fitted with a tail skid but no brakes, and was unable to use the normal unsealed landing area as that area was wet and out of service. At the time of the landing the wind conditions resulted in a quartering tailwind from the right at five knots".

Re-registered (3.94) to Stephen L Merrett, Milton, NSW. Re-registered 6.94 to D Tompkins, Chapman, ACT. On display (11.2002) in Australia's Museum of Flight, Nowra, NSW. Re-registered 12.2.2003 to Keiran J Balkin, Waratah, NSW. Re-registered 1.1.2009 to Richard Brougham, Warabrook, Newcastle, NSW. Badly damaged in crash near Luskintyre, NSW 15.12.2012 following engine failure on take-offf. According to the ATSB Report into the accident:

"On 15 December 2012, four DH-82A (Tiger Moth) aircraft departed runway 12 at Luskintyre airport, NSW, for a practice formation flight. The pilot flying VH-DDA, the formation lead aircraft, applied full power for take-off. Passing through about 50 ft above ground level, the pilot flying noted that the aircraft was not climbing as expected and, realising that full power was not selected, applied full power by moving the throttle fully forward and lowered the nose of the aircraft slightly to gain speed.

As there was insufficient distance remaining to land on the runway, and it had become evident that a forced landing was imminent, the instructing pilot input a slight left bank so that the left wing of DDA took the main force of the impact. The aircraft landed and struck a tree before coming to rest. Both pilots were able to undo their four-point harnesses and exit the aircraft without assistance, although the pilot flying received serious facial injuries.

While both pilots reported that they had not reduced engine power after take-off, the accident was a result of decreasing airspeed and the aircraft being unable to recover following the reapplication of full power. The ATSB could not resolve this ambiguity".

Re-registered 12.3.2013 to Matthew Todd Webber, Lochinvar, NSW (based Luskintyre, NSW); on rebuild [2015]. Currently registered

1. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
2. ATSB Summary of the Accident of 15.12.2012: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2012/aair/ao-2012-169/
3. ATSB Full Report of the Accident of 15.12.2012: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4118503/ao-2012-169_final.pdf
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus1.html
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
6. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-DDA.html
7. ATSB Summary of the accident of 23.12.87: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1987/aair/aair198702449/
8. ATSB Full Report into the accident: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/27728/aair198702449.pdf
9. https://www.airhistory.net/photo/180715/VH-DDA/A17-168
10. Tiger Moth VH-DDA at Ballarat Airport, Ballarat, Victoria Australia (YBLT) 18.3.84: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000773879.html
11. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/picture.php?/DDA_dh82a_lusk10_a17_168/category/dh82a-tiger-moth-a17-168
11. https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=18267
12. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/14895-vh-dda-1

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

23 December 1987

VH-DDA

Flight Lieutenant Rod D M Lovell

0

Bankstown Airport, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW

sub

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jun-2018 22:33	Pineapple	Added
26-Jan-2022 17:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
26-Jan-2022 17:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]