Incident De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth ZK-BGX,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 168356
 
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Date:Sunday 29 July 1962
Time:day
Type:Silhouette image of generic DH82 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:Middle Districts Aero Club
Registration: ZK-BGX
MSN: 85826
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location:Palmerston North Airport, Manawatu 1 -   New Zealand
Phase: Taxi
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Palmerston North, Milson, Manawatū-Whanganui Region,New Zealand (NZPM)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities
Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 85826; Taken on charge as DE955, nominally at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire 27.7.42. However, placed into long-term storage in ‘purgatory’ in the Oxfordshire area; returned to Morris Motors, Cowley, Oxford for erection 14.2.44. To 38 MU RAF Llandow, Glamorgan 26.2.44. To 28 EFTS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 22.12.44. To 25 RFS (Reserve Flying School), RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 26.6.47 coded “RCW-E”. later “15”. To 9 MU RAF Cosford. Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 10.2.53; delivered 13.2.53 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off Charge when sold 6.11.53 to A J Whittemore [Aeradio] Ltd, Croydon Airpot, Croydon, Surrey. UK civil registered as G-ANST (C of R R4639/1) 29.6.54 to W A Rollason Ltd, Croydon. C of A A4639 issued 30.7.54. Registration G-ANST cancelled 5.8.54 as 'sold to New Zealand'.

Re-registered in New Zealand as ZK-BGX 9.11.54 to Middle Districts Aero Club, Palmerston North. Stored for almost two years until reflown 18.10.56; New Zealand C of A issued 19.10.56 (next day). Badly damaged in collision with Tiger ZK-BVN at Levin, Horowhenua District, Manawatū-Whanganui region 8.3.59; pilot J Hosioux.

(Levin is the largest town and seat of the Horowhenua District, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Lake Horowhenua, around 95 km north of Wellington and 50 km southwest of Palmerston North).

Repaired and returned to service. Fitted with Gipsy Major #8176 [by August 1960]. Badly damaged when struck by another aircraft at Palmerston North, Milson, Manawatū-Whanganui Region,New Zealand 29.7.62; repaired and returned to service.

Written off (badly damaged) when crashed on take-off at Taupo 8.1.66; pilot Leonard Watson. According to one published source (see link #7):

"On the 10th of January 1966, ZK-BGX developed an engine failure and crashed at Taupo, following the airport’s opening ceremony. The pilot, Leonard Watson, was uninjured - despite the aircraft losing a wing to a wind sock, and coming to rest with it’s wheels pointed skyward. The aircraft was deemed a write-off, and the club’s Tiger Moth generation had finished with a bang."

Not repaired, and registration ZK-BGX cancelled 12.4.66. Bought by Okanagan Helicopter engineer in New Zealand and shipped to Canada, then sold to Ed Zalesky for rebuild. Canadian registration CF-BGX reserved 6.3.73 for Ed Zalesky/Airplane Supply Centre, Richmond, British Columbia. Not taken up and reservation cancelled 29.1.92.

Note: By August 1960, ZK-BGX’s logbook showed its identity as DE883 (G-ANSU/ZK-BVN); it remains unclear whether the two airframes or just the paperwork had been swapped at some stage (possibly on delivery to New Zealand in 1954). A fuselage plate attached to ZK-BGX also implied it was ex DE883.

Sources:

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-ANST.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p858.html
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
5. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/56860-zk-bgx-1
6. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
7. http://aeroclub.co.nz/history/the-midland-era
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levin,_New_Zealand

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
8 March 1958 ZK-BGX Middle Districts Aero Club 0 Levin, Manawatu 4 sub
9 May 1965 ZK-BGX Middle Districts Aero Club 0 Palmerston North Airport, Manawatu 1 sub
8 January 1966 ZK-BGX Middle Districts Aero Club 0 Taupo Airport, Taupo w/o

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
19-Dec-2021 19:14 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category]
23-Jan-2022 07:19 Ron Averes Updated [Aircraft type, Location]
13-Feb-2022 02:14 Ron Averes Updated [Location]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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