Date:	Friday 3 August 2001
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Heiko Harms
Registration:	D-EMTO
MSN:	85652
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ottendorf, 16km East of Cuxhaven, Lower Saxony -   Germany
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Ottendorf, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Destination airport:	Ottendorf, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 85652; Taken on charge as DE722, nominally at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire 25.7.42. However, placed into long-term storage in ‘purgatory’ in the Oxfordshire area; returned to Morris Motors, Cowley, Oxford for erection 10.2.44. To 38 MU RAF Llandow, Glamorgan 26.2.44. To 22 EFTS RAF Teversham, Cambridge 17.12.44. To 19 FTS RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire 24.7.45. Crashed 16.5.46 (presumed at RAF Cranwell); to 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 29.5.46 for repairs/disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 5.9.46 to Field Consolidated Aircraft Services Ltd. UK civil registered as G-AIXH (C of R 11051/1) 28.11.46 to Field Aircraft Services Ltd but amended with effect from same day to read 'Hunting Flying Clubs Ltd, Luton'. Aircraft based at Luton Airport, Luton, Bedfordshire. C of A 8770 issued 4.3.47. Damaged in gales when parked at Luton Airport. Luton, Bedfordshire 4-7.4.47; repaired and returned to service. Regsitration G-AIXH cancelled when sold 5.3.49 and registration formally cancelled 9.3.49 as 'sold abroad by WS Shackleton Ltd'.

Re-registered in Hong Kong as VR-HEL 20.4.49 to Cyril Oswald Chambers, t/a Hong Kong Flying Club, Kowloon. Hong Kong. (Hong Kong records indicate originally registered to Far East Flying Training School Ltd and only registered to Cyril O. Chambers during the 1st Quarter of 1950 - i.e., between 1.1.50 and 31.3.50; but there is a letter on file dated 20.4.49 confirming ownerhip transfer to Chambers in 1949). Crashed and overturned at San Tsan beach, Lantau Island, Hong Kong 20.8.50. Registration VR-HEL cancelled 28.8.50.

Wreck sold 21.11.50 to Far East Flying Training School. Rebuilt (using parts from VR-HEM) and re-registered as VR-HFH 28.3.55 (with C/no. "RTN/R/39" [sic]) to Far East Flying Training School Ltd, Kowloon. C of A lapsed 6.6.59; used as instructional airframe by FEFTS Ltd. Registration VR-HFH cancelled 29.12.62 as PWFU ("Permanently Withdrawn From Use")

Sold 22.11.63 to Bill Barnes, USA; fitted with Gipsy Major 84023/A164582. Application for US registration N5446 made 3.6.66 and reserved 7.6.66; seemingly replaced by further application for US registration N5445 made 1.7.67. Registered in USA as N5445 (application dated 29.5.67); registration approved 13.6.68 to William Emmert [Bill] Barnes (Barnes Aviation), Lancaster, California (aircraft based at Fox Field, Lancaster, CA). Owner died c.11.80 and aircraft WFU (Withdrawn From Use) by 1980.

Sold 16.8.82 to Cliff Lovell/Hampshire Light Plane Services Ltd & shipped to Walkeridge Farm, Overton 10.82. Nominally sold/transferred 13.10.82 and re-registered 8.12.82 to (executor of estate) Shouling M Barnes, Lancaster, California. Registration N5445 cancelled 8.12.82 as 'Exported to England'.

To Little Gransden early 1983. Registration G-AIXH restored (C of R G-AIXH/R2) 11.5.84 to Lucinda Mary Haran, St Neots. Cambridgeshire (aircraft based at Little Gransden). Rebuilt and C of A renewed 18.6.85. Registration G-AIXH cancelled 25.3.87 as 'sold to Germany'. (Asking/sale price was reportedly £22,500 - see photo, link #6).

Re-registered in West Germany as D-EHXH [ferry permit issued 24.4.87; inspected on arrival at Egelsbach 29.4.87] 12.6.87 to Hans-Joachim Biedert, Worms. Re-registered 10.89 to Heiko Harms, Flensbur.

Force landed & overturned following engine failure in a maize field near Ottendorf, 16 km East of Cuxhaven, 3.8.2001; fuselage, wings & undercarriage damaged.

The reported crash location of Otterndorf is a town on the coast of the North Sea in the federal state of Lower Saxony, Germany, and is part of the collective municipality of Land Hadeln. The town, located in the administrative district of Cuxhaven, is at the mouth of the river Medem, part of the Elbe delta, at approximate coordinates 53°48′ 0″N, 8°54′ 0″E

Wreck sold to Roberto Echevarria and initially stored. Registration D-EHXH cancelled 20.11.2006 as withdrawn from use. Wings & tail rebuilt by Termikas in Lithuania in 2008 and remainder of airframe rebuilt by David Ormerod at H & S Aviation, Itzehoe airfield in the winter of 2009-10 for Roberto Echevarria. Permit to Fly issued 8.6.2010 and reflown at Itzehoe 9.6.2010. Re-registered as D-ETMO (reserved 26.2.2010) 8.6.2010 to Roberto Echevarria; painted in 1944-period RAF colours as DE722. Registration lapsed; registration restored 23.8.18 based Itzehoe (presumed to same owner).

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1987 p.17)
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AIXH.pdf
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p856.html
5. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N5445
6. As G-AIXH and 'for sale' (asking price £22,500!) in 1986: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1757037 [photo]
7. As D-EHXH named 'Peters Tiger' at Flensburg (EDXF), Germany 14.2.1999: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1289819 [photo]
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otterndorf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jun-2010 02:32	Petro	Added
05-Jun-2016 18:49	Aerossurance	Updated [Aircraft type]
20-Sep-2021 19:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
29-Jan-2022 04:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category]
29-Jan-2022 17:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]