Date:	Thursday 9 June 1949
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Leeds UAS RAF
Registration:	DE953
MSN:	85824
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Church Fenton, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth MSN85824: Taken on charge as DE953 nominally at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire 28.7.42. However, placed into long-term storage locally in ‘purgatory’ in the Oxfordshire area; returned to Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford for erection 10.2.44. To 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire 26.2.44. To ORU (Operational & Refresher Training Unit), Hampstead Norris, Berkshire 1.7.44. To 24 EFTS RAF Sealand, Flintshire 29.1.46. To 28 EFTS Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 6.2.46; operated by Durham UAS (University Air Squadron); coded “FLJ-A” (or ‘FLJ-B’). To 25 RFS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 26.6.47; retained by Durham UAS; coded “RUD-A”; later (1948?) to Leeds UAS at RAF Yeadon (Leeds/Braford Airport), West Yorkshire coded "RUY-B".

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 9.6.49 when spun into the ground at RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire. The pilot had authorised himself for a dual aerobatic flying training instruction sortie. He entered into an intentional spin at too low an altitude to allow for recovery action, before the aircraft spun into the ground. The Tiger Moth was written off, the two crew survived.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.503
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. Leeds UAS ORB 1-1-1946-31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2554: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505192
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p858.html
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Air_Squadron#Former_squadrons
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Church_Fenton#Postwar

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Mar-2023 16:00	Dr. John Smith	Added