ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 231512
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| Date: | Saturday 10 July 1954 |
| Time: | 16:30 LT |
| Type: |  De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Christchurch Aero Club |
| Registration: | G-ACDI |
| MSN: | 3182 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Christchurch Aerodrome, Somerford, Christchurch, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Christchurch Aerodrome, Christchurch, Hampshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 3182: First civil registered (C of R 4144/1) on 6.2.33 as G-ACDI to the De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd., Stag Lane, Edgware. Middlesex (although actually based at Hatfield, Hertfordshire). Operated by DH School of Flying; later 1 ERFTS, Hatfield. Later still to 13 ERFTS White Waltham; unit renamed 13 EFTS 3.9.39 upon outbreak of war. Registration G-ACDI cancelled 30.10.40 by the Secretary of State, Air Ministry, when impressed into military service as BB742.
To 4 EFTS RAF Brough, East Yorkshire 9.1.41. Collided with Tiger Moth R4832 over Brough 26.2.41; According to one source (see link #3):
"A year later [1941], the aircraft collided on the ground with another Tiger Moth – a bit of bad taxi-ing, that! – and had to be transported by road to be repaired: an indignity for any aircraft. It stayed in the RAF until November 1947 when it was flown to Little Rissington “for disposal,” which is not quite as final as it sounds."
To Taylorcraft at Rearsby, Leicestershire for repairs 28.2.41. To 13 EFTS RAF Westwood, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 6.5.41. To 21 EFTS RAF Booker, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 2.6.41. Major inspection; to Lundy & Atlantic Coast for repairs 1.9.41. To 29 EFTS RAF Clyffe Pypard 28.9.41, coded “77”. To 8 MU RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 13.11.47 for storage pending disposal.
Struck off charge 30.11.47 and sold for civilian use, still as G-ACDI: registration restored 13.4.48 (C of R R.685/2) to Air Service Training Ltd., Hamble, Hampshire. Registration cancelled 2.7.53 prior to sale.
Re-registered (C of R R.685/3) on 10.7.53 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd., Portsmouth, Hampshire. Probably only registered for overhaul and onward sale, as registration cancelled 21.7.53 and then sold on (C of R R685/4) to Thomas Hutton Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset 24.7.53; Operated by Christchurch Aero Club
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 10.7.54 when crashed on take due to engine failure on take off from Christchurch Aerodrome, Christchurch, Hampshire. According to an eyewitness report by the pilot, Miss Elizabeth May McCulloch of 94, Evering Avenue, Parkstone, Dorset, states:-
"I am a full flying member of the Christchurch Aero Club and hold Private Pilot's licence No. 39679 which is valid to 18th May, 1955. I started instructional flying in May, 1953 and have flown a total of 54 hours 50 minutes of which 23 hours 25 minutes were solo. I have flown the following totals on Tiger Moth aircraft, solo 20 hours and dual 30 hours 25 minutes. I last flew a Tiger Moth on 28th June, 1954 for 30 minutes solo. I took up my first passenger on the 5th of June and have since taken up five.
I arrived at Christchurch Aerodrome on Saturday the 10th July, 1954 at 1500 hrs. and booked a flight. At about 1630 hrs. L.T. Mr. Pothecary the Chief Flying Instructor at Christchurch Aero Club gave me permission to take Tiger Moth G-ACDI for local flying. Mr. D. Clay asked me if I was flying solo and I said "Yes you may come if you wish". He agreed and we prepared for take off. I saw him fixing his safety harness and I did up my own. I did the usual pre-flight check and noted that the petrol gauge indicated the tank was full. While the engine was being started I repeated the propeller swinger's question "petrol on throttle closed switches off". The engine started without any difficulty and I gave it a ground test, it showed 1200 R.P.M. and I then tried the magnetoes for a drop and found them satisfactory. I did not run up the engine to maximum R.P.M. as we were not using chocks.
As far as I know the above is the normal practice as I understand each aircraft is fully ground tested by the Club engineers before flying commences.
I taxied out and on arrival at the cross wind position before take off point I did a pre flight check i.e. trimmer 2/3rd forwards, throttle friction nut tightened, petrol "On", sufficient fuel for the flight, slats unlocked, altimeter at zero, oil pressure 30 lb per square inch, harness tight and doors both shut. I asked my passenger if he was ready and whether his harness was tight and asked him not to touch any controls. He said "I am ready and will naturally not touch controls as I have a woman as my pilot". I surveyed the aerodrome for aircraft and then turned into wind - it was a very light one - and took off. I noted that the R.P.M. were a little over 2000 and the engine sounded normal. It took rather a long run to take off owing to the light wind. When I had reached a height of approximately 40 feet we had covered 3/4 of the take off run. At this moment the engine made 2 pops and then cut out. We had been climbing at an average angle so I put down the nose and re-affirmed that the petrol was on, feeling the lever to make sure it was fully forward. At this stage I decided to slip off the height and land straight ahead. I knew that I would strike the boundary hedge. With this object in mind I throttled back and then heard the engine splutter, so opened the throttle gradually to which the engine responded and the aircraft appeared to climb away satisfactorily. By this time we were somewhere over the boundary hedge when the engine cut dead once again. Had I continued straight ahead I would have hit the first house bordering the aerodrome so turned to the left when I lost control. I noted at the time there was no response from the control column and that there was a little from the rudder. I believe we hit the ground with the port wing and then turned over. We were in a port wing low and nose down attitude. We were both trapped but were very soon released by rescuers. There was no sign of fire. I had not switched off and had not had time to close the throttle.
Taken down at Christchurch Aerodrome
on 11th July at 1310 hrs.
(Sgd.) Betty McCulloch"
Registration G-ACDI cancelled on 10.7.54 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawl from use"
That should have been the end of the story - and for 41 years it was! According to a published source (see link #3) "The aeroplane was deemed beyond repair but someone collected all the parts and stored them in the corner of a hangar for forty years. It was 1995 before G-ACDI was rescued from the scrap heap, when it was restored at Old Sarum"
On 16.3.95, the registration G-ACDI was restored for the third time, as this particular Tiger Moth was rebuilt and restored to flying condition. It now flies regularly from Old Sarum Airfield, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Histroy of Tiger Moth G-ACDI from 1995-2019 is as follows:
Registered 16.3.95 to John Aubrey Pothecary, Shoreham; on rebuild as composite; to Newton Toney, Salisbury [11.96]; at Old Sarum [2.05]; reflown 15.4.2008. CofA renewed 6.6.2008. Re-registered 17.6.2008 to David John Wood, Salisbury (based Old Sarum). Re-registered 16.6.2009 to Doublecube Aviation LLP (David John Wood & Philippa Margaret Anne Wood), Salisbury (based Old Sarum). CofA replaced by Permit to fly 11.4.2019. Currently registered
Sources:
1. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 219/111: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C414883
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ACDI.pdf
3. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/07/the_day_i_almost_flew_a_tiger_moth_singlehanded/
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A4.html
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
6. https://ukga.com/photos/view?contentId=35385
7. https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6597809
8. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/G-ACDI
9. http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/component/content/article?id=77
10. Flight magazine 27 February 1953 p247: http://dutchtigermoth.com/PH-UAY/1953%2520-%25200249.PDF
11. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=10519.0
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christchurch_Airfield#After_World_War_II
Media:
G-ACDI taking off at Old Sarum airfield on 31/07/2010
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2019 18:25 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 17-Dec-2019 18:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 22-Feb-2020 22:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Feb-2020 22:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Narrative] |
| 13-Oct-2021 17:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 13-Oct-2021 17:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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