Date:	Saturday 26 August 2017
Time:	09:28 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-ADXT
MSN:	3436
Year of manufacture:	1935
Engine model:	De Havilland Gipsy Major 1H
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Spread Eagle Hill, near Compton Abbas Airfield, Shaftesbury, Dorset -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Compton Abbas Airport (EGHA)
Destination airport:	Compton Abbas Airport (EGHA)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
DH82A Tiger Moth, G-ADXT was written off (destroyed) due to loss of control, following engine problem on takeoff from Compton Abbas Airfield, Dorset, 26 August 2017. The official AAIB report into the accident was published on 10 January 2019, and the following is an extract from it...

"The aircraft was carrying out an introductory flight with the pilot and a passenger aboard. As it became airborne from runway 08 at Compton Abbas Airfield, the engine was heard to misfire, but the aircraft continued to climb before making a left turn. Shortly afterwards, the pilot reported an engine problem and his intention to return to the airfield. The aircraft was on the base leg of an approach for runway 26 when the nose pitched down, and it appeared to enter a steep descending turn to the left from which it did not recover before impact it struck the surface of a crop field in a steep nose-down attitude and caught fire. Both occupants were fatally injured.

Conclusion:
The accident occurred when the pilot was attempting to return to the airfield after reporting a rough running engine. Damage sustained during the accident prevented an assessment of the magnetos, ignition system and carburettor. A problem with any one of these could have caused the reported symptoms. The possibility of carburettor icing could not be discounted. At about 200 ft agl, the aircraft pitched suddenly and significantly nose down before descending in a left turn from which it did not recover before striking the surface of a crop field. The reason for this final manoeuvre was not determined."

Damage sustained to airframe: Per the above AAIB report, G-ADXT was "destroyed". As a result, the registration G-ADXT was cancelled on 19 September 2017 as "destroyed"

1. AAIB Accident 22.6.2001- AAIB Bulletin No: 8/2001 Ref: EW/G2001/06/28: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f8b9e5274a13140006af/dft_avsafety_pdf_500228.pdf
2. AAIB Fatal Accident 26.8.2017: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f5a3eafd3bf7f7238f22feb/DH82A_Tiger_Moth_G-ADXT_01-19.pdf
3. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ADXT.pdf
4. Bournemouth Echo 11.1.2019: https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17350895.fatal-tiger-moth-crash-pilot-flew-jumbo-jets-cathay-pacific/
5. Dorset Echo 11.1.2019: https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/17350106.tiger-moth-plane-crashed-near-compton-abbas-engine-failed/
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p034.html
8. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15898.0
9. http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/news/tiger-moth-g-adxt
10. https://wings-on-film.fandom.com/wiki/G-ADXT
11. https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=106382
12. National Archives (PRO Kew) File DR26/34: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C295991 (Correspondence with CAA ref rebuild 1979-81)
13. https://www.dorset.police.uk/news-information/article/3499#59a14baf5696f
14. https://www.dwfire.org.uk/incident/aircraft-shaftesbury/
15. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-41060535
16. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/26/two-killed-in-dorset-light-aircraft-crash-tiger-moth
17. https://www.gillingham-news.co.uk/news/two-men-die-light-aircraft-crash-compton-abbas-airfield-near-shaftesbury/
18. https://www.itv.com/news/2017-08-26/two-men-die-in-dorset-light-aircraft-crash/
19. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=105182&sid=db6278a39dfb283bfca6726d40783386
20. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c1114f040f0b60c8701aa7b/DH82A_Tiger_Moth_G-ADXT_01-19.pdf

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

22 June 2001

G-ADXT

James Roger Hanauer

0

near Fishbourne, 2 miles West of Chichester, West Sussex

sub

G-ADXT at Compton Abbas airfield, May 2013 (Ian Kirk; CC:by)

Fatal accident, Tiger Moth, Dorset, 26 Aug 17 https://t.co/HYXFH7q0E8 pic.twitter.com/KFYrwCFcEF

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) January 10, 2019

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Aug-2017 12:42	gerard57	Added
26-Aug-2017 12:44	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source]
26-Aug-2017 12:48	Aerossurance	Updated [Location]
26-Aug-2017 17:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
26-Aug-2017 17:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
26-Aug-2017 17:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
27-Aug-2017 08:40	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Embed code, Narrative]
26-Sep-2017 12:55	Michael Roots	Updated [Registration, Source]
20-Dec-2017 07:19	rvargast17	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn]
10-Jan-2019 20:11	harro	Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, ]
10-Jan-2019 20:12	harro	Updated [Embed code, Photo]
10-Jan-2019 20:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
10-Jan-2019 21:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
18-Mar-2019 00:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]
18-Mar-2019 00:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location]
27-Mar-2022 18:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Category]