Date:	Monday 25 February 1929
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.60 Moth
Owner/operator:	3 Sqn RAAF
Registration:	A7-12
MSN:	551
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAAF Richmond, City of Hawkesbury, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAAF Richmond, City of Hawkesbury, NSW (XRH/YSRI)
Destination airport:	RAAF Richmond, NSW
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DH.60X Moth A7-12: Crashed into trees on take-off near RAAF Richmond, City of Hawkesbury, NSW 25.2.29. Both Flight Lieutenant C.T. Anderson (Pilot) and AC.1 Llewellyn Lancelot “Lance” Colless (passenger) survived the accident: however, Colless died in hospital of his injuries the next day.

As reported in a contemporary newspaper (Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW) Wednesday 27 February 1929 Page 2 - see link #1)

"PLANE CRASHES
ONE MAN KILLED
Struck Top of Tree
RICHMOND FATALITY
SYDNEY. Tuesday.
After taking off from Richmond aerodrome on a trial flight, a new D.H. Moth struck the top of a tree and crashed from a height of about 50 feet. Flight-Lieutenant Anderson was in charge, accompanied by Aircraftsman Colless. Both men were injured, and Colless died.

The aeroplane had been in use for about a month, and in a previous test it had proved satisfactory. The machine was badly damaged.

When Anderson was extricated from the wreckage die was bleeding, from numerous cuts about the face, hands, and legs, but he quickly recovered

Colless' right leg and arm were broken, besides which he sustained concussion and extensive abrasions and bruises"

The death of AC.1 Colless was reported in The Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, NSW) Tuesday 26 Feb 1929 Page 5 (see link #3)

"RICHMOND CRASH
Injured Mechanic Dies
SYDNEY. Tuesday.
As a result of the crash of an aeroplane at Richmond, yesterday, Flight Lieutenant Anderson and Lance Colless, mechanic, were seriously injured.

Colless died this morning at the Prince of Wales Hospital, at Randwick. Anderson's condition showed a slight improvement this morning".

The funeral of Llewellyn Lancelot “Lance” Colless took place on 28 February 1929, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW) Friday 1 Mar 1929:

"AIRCRAFTSMAN L. COLLESS.
The funeral of Aircraftsman Lancelot Colless, who died from injuries received at Richmond Aerodrome when a Moth aeroplane crashed last Monday, took place at the Church of England Cemetery, Sutherland, yesterday.

The remains were conveyed from his parents' residence at Ocean Street, Penshurst, on an Air Force trailer, and his former comrades of' the Air Force acted as pall-bearers. Members of the R.A.A.F. marched ahead of the funeral procession and a firing party of members of the R.A.A.F., commanded by Sergeant Major MacCrae, fired a salute over the grave.

A service at his late home at Penshurst was conducted by the Air Force chaplain, the Rev. G. G. Dent, who also officiated at the graveside".

1. Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW) Wednesday 27 February 1929 Page 2 'PLANE CRASHES: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192683996
2. Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW) Thursday 28 February 1929 Page 2 AEROPLANE CRASH: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143105802
3. The Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, NSW) Tuesday 26 Feb 1929 Page 5 RICHMOND CRASH: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164018212
4. The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW) Friday 1 Mar 1929 Page 18 AIRCRAFTSMAN L. COLLESS: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16534965 (Report of funeral)
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/CMS/raaf2/2a7
6. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60-moth-richmond-1-killed
7. https://www.ahsa.org.au/wp/archives/this-day-in-history/1929-02-25
8. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p005.html
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181561949/llewellyn-lancelot-colless
11. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1980.pdf
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAAF_Base_Richmond

c/n. 551 DH.60X [Cirrus II]: to DeHavilland Australia with C of A 1388 issued 23.4.28. To RAAF as A7-12. To 3 Squadron, RAAF at RAAF Richmond, City of Hawkesbury, NSW by 1.6.28.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
10-Dec-2011 09:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
27-Jan-2012 13:00	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location]
08-Aug-2013 04:22	JINX	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
07-Dec-2015 18:10	Faun	Updated [Operator]
31-Aug-2017 19:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
31-Aug-2017 19:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
15-Aug-2018 20:32	Sergey L.	Updated [Source]
13-Dec-2023 18:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
24-Mar-2024 07:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]