ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300145
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| Date: | Saturday 28 August 1948 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | De Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor |
| Owner/operator: | Geoffrey B. Woodward |
| Registration: | VH-BKI |
| MSN: | 94079 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | St Arnaud Racecourse, St.Arnaud, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Saint Arnaud Airport,St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia (YSTA) |
mid-1939 Construction commenced by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd at Hatfield, England Uncompleted at Hatfield when DH.94 production line shut down in 10.39. Sold to De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Sydney and Shipped to Australia. Assembled at Mascot, Sydney, NSW to RAAF order for 41 Moth Minors
31.1.40: Test flown at Mascot, Sydney, NSW, and notified as "awaiting collection"
2.2.40: Taken on RAAF charge as A21-3. Received at 2 Aircraft Depot Richmond ex De Havillands. Allotted to 23 Squadron, Archerfield ex 2 Aircraft Depot
23.5.40: Allotted to 2 Aircraft Depot ex 23 Squadron
21.8.40: Allotted 22 Squadron, Richmond ex 2 Aircraft Depot
13.8.42: RAAF file memo: "A21-3 is currently with No.22 Squadron at Richmond in serviceable condition".
7.9.42: Received by No.3 Communications Flight, Mascot, Sydney, NSW
27.10.42: Received 32 Squadron, Richmond ex 3 Communications Flight
2.11.42: Attachment to 32 Squadron cancelled, returned to 3 Communications Flight
25.11.42: On strength 3 Communications Flight located at 32 Squadron
26.3.43: Issued 3 Communications Flight Mascot ex 32 Squadron
6.4.43: Received at 73 Squadron ex 3 Communications Flight for use of 73 Squadron Detachment at Camden, NSW
29.5.44: Received 5 Aircraft Depot Storage, Cootamundra ex 73 Squadron
22.1.45: Instruction from RAAF HQ: all Moth Minors are "frozen" (grounded) pending disposal by CDC
20.2.45: Included in CDC Tender List No.1 with closing date for tenders 20 February 1945.
22.3.45: Sold by Commonwealth Disposals Commission to F. H. Edwards, Melbourne for £75
27.3.45: Letter to DCA from Fred H. Edwards on letterhead Edwards Aero Services, Essendon Airport, Melbourne: he has purchased four Moth Minors from RAAF Cootamundra A21-3, A21-10, A21-24, and A21-38. All will be signed out as airworthy by licenced engineer Mr. Jack Hodder, then will be ferried from Cootamundra to Essendon as a group under his supervision by the following pilots: Jack Hodder, A. O. Keillerup, Desmond Cook and Mrs. Gertie McKenzie (later changed to Mr. J. L. Roche). Fred H. Edwards will be flying Mr. Ouston's Moth Minor A21-19
3.4.45: Fred H. Edwards wrote to DCA from Cootamundra, where he is preparing for the group ferry flight
4.4.45: RAAF Status Card: Despatched to F. H. Edwards
30.12.47: Registration application: Fred H. Edwards, Melbourne, Vic. c/no 94079 and A21-3 quoted on application form
21.1.48: DCA allocate registration VH-BKI
28.6.48: Registered VH-BKI and C of A issued same day
24.8.48: Change of ownership: Geoffrey B. Woodward, Melbourne Victoria
28.8.48: Crashed and destroyed during aerobatics at St Arnaud Victoria. Pilot Norman H. Sutton, who had flown the aircraft to St Arnaud that morning from Essendon, was killed. He was an experienced aerobatic and transport pilot, but failed to recover from a loop while flying a solo display for a group of pilots at the town racecourse.
31.8.48 :The Argus newspaper: "The crashed Moth Minor plane in which Norman Sutton, a St Kilda pilot was killed at the weekend was stripped by thieves of every useful removable part yesterday. The plane crashed on St Arnaud racecourse and it was guarded only until Civil Aviation authorities had inspected it. The owners of the plane, Mr. G. Hill and Mr G. Woodward of Alma Street, St Kilda arranged on Sunday with a St Arnaud garage proprietor to salvage the wreck but it was looted before he got to it yesterday." (St Arnaud is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, 244 kilometres north west of the capital Melbourne).
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH94.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p940.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh94/dh94mothminor.htm
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a21.htm
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Arnaud,_Victoria
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Oct-2022 17:48 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 23-Oct-2022 17:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 23-Oct-2022 17:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 24-Oct-2022 01:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 27-May-2023 08:50 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Narrative]] |
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