Date:	Saturday 2 December 1961
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Tauranga Gliding Club
Registration:	ZK-BBK
MSN:	85426
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Tauranga Airport, Bay of Plenty 1 -   New Zealand
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Banner and glider towing
Departure airport:	Tauranga Airport, Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty (NZTG)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 84526; Taken on charge by the RAF as T8253 at 3 EFTS RAF Watchfield 23.4.41; moved with unit to RAF Shellingford 12.41 later coded “FHI-L”. Crashed 6.6.47; to 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 11.8.47 for long-term stroage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 29.4.48 to Adie Aviation Ltd, Croydon Airport, Cryodon, Surrey. UK civil registered as G-AMNE (C of R R3641/1) 18.4.52 to Adie Aviation Ltd, Croydon. CofA issued 30.5.52. Registration G-AMNE cancelled 3.6.52 as 'sold abroad - New Zealand'.

Re-registered in New Zealand as ZK-BBK 12.8.52 to New Plymouth Aero Club. C of A issued 14.10.52. Re-registered 26.2.54 to J Paterson, Motiti Island [aircraft based at Tauranga]. Re-registered 1.5.59 to Tauranga Aero Club, Tauranga. Re-registered 1.5.61 to Tauranga Gliding Club, Tauranga.

Badly damaged when ran away during start-up Tauranga Airport, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, 2.12.61. Pilot Brister. Registration ZK-BBK cancelled 16.5.68 as damaged beyond repair.

Rebuilt and re-registered ZK-CZX (with MSN "T8253R") 4.7.69 to Ian Bennie, Auckland. Re-registered 8.11.71 to Cliff N Bellingham, Waiuku. Re-registered 30.11.76 to M G Neich & R J Tritt, Wellington [aircraft based at Paraparaumu]. Collided with power lines and crashed into river at Inangahua Junction, near Whitecliffs 17.12.78; The vintage biplane was flying through the Buller Gorge when it struck wires and crashed. Pilot Murray Neich and his passenger Jacqueline Barber both died - the impact was survivable but the aircraft crashed upside-down in the river.

Registration cancelled 16.7.79. Used as spares in the rebuild of Tiger Moth ZK-ALX in 1981. On rebuild 1986-88 by Glenn Thompson, Palmerston North. On rebuild [1998-2000] at Gisborne.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. AHSNZ, 1985, Journal, Vol 28 No 1.
3. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AMNE.pdf
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p845.html
6. Tiger Moth ZK-BBK at Matamata Aerodrome Airport, Matamata New Zealand (NZMA) in 1961: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000913260.html
7. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1754834
8. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
9. As ZK-CZX at Wigram 2.9.78 : https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=109224
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauranga_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Oct-2021 19:00	Ron Averes	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Source]
17-Dec-2021 01:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category]
16-Jan-2022 05:06	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
26-Jan-2022 05:01	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type]
14-Feb-2022 00:54	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]