Date:	Sunday 19 December 1954
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	L.F. Vlieghe
Registration:	OO-ACI
MSN:	83098
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Oordegem, Lede, East Flanders -   Belgium
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Portsmouth Airport, Portsmouth, Hampshire (PME/EGPM)
Destination airport:	Oordegem, municipality of Lede, East Flanders
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 83098 (Gipsy Major #83011): Taken on charge by the RAF as R5239 at 19 MU RAF St Athan, Glamorgan 2.5.40. To Derby 22.10.40; returned to 19 MU St. Athan 15.11.40. To 10 EFTS Weston-super-Mare 19.11.40; to Stoke Orchard 9.41. [Reported as with 28 EFTS, coded "80"]. To 29 MU High Ercall 17.7.42. To 7 EFTS Desford, Leicestershire 23.11.42. To 9 MU RAF Cosford 19.9.46. To 2 Grading Unit, Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire 8.8.52. Ferried to 33 MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 9.3.53.

Struck off charge when sold 3.9.53 to Transair Ltd, Croydon. UK civil Registered as G-ANVV (C of R R4754) 15.11.54 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth. C of A not known. Note that the Air Ministry aircraft registration card used the aircraft's RAF serial R5329 as the MSN instead of the official DeHavilland MSN 83098. UK Registration cancelled 7.12.54 as 'sold to Belgium'.

Damaged in forced landing on delivery near Oordegem, municipality of Lede, East Flanders, Belgium 19.12.54. Not certain if the aircraft had UK or Belgian registration at this time. Formally Belgian Registered as OO-ACI (C of R 1047) 17.6.55 to L.F. Vlieghe, Keerbergen/Lier. Re-registered 15.9.61 to Limburgse Vleugels vzw, Zwartberg. Belgian Registration cancelled 16.9.65 as sold to Holland.

Re-registered PH-NLC (C of R 1085) 1.10.65 to NV Nationale Luchtvaart School, Den Haag (registered with identity 'M5239' in error). Advertised as 'for sale' June 1967. Re-registered 13.11.67 to Martin J.M. Duyvestijn, Teuge/Twello. Sold 3.4.70 by C Honcoop/Honcoop’s Handelsonderneming, Veen to Geert Frank for $1,200.

Netherlands registration PH-NLC cancelled 10.4.70 as 'sold to USA'. Re-registered N8879 (application dated 20.4.70) on 28.4.70 to Geert E Frank, East Kingston, New Hampshire. C of A issued 29.7.70. Sold 2.8.70 and re-registered 9.9.70 to Merle Daniel Edwards, Huntsville, AL. Sold 23.10.73 and re-registered 8.11.73 to George H Schulz & Marshall L Seymour, Tullahoma, Tennessee. Withdrawn from use at an unknown date in 1974, and proposed rebuild not completed. On 19.3.76 Marhall L Seymour sold his 50% interest in Tiger Moth N8879 to George H Schulz, making the latter the sole owner.

Sold 4.4.90 to H.L. Routh, Tullahoma, Tennessee for rebuild. Sold 4.8.95 (by the executor of the estate of H.L. Routh) and re-registered 28.9.95 to James Michael Routh, Tullahoma & Gary Lee Routh, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Sold 3.12.98 and re-registered 6.2.99 to Michael A Williams, Columbus, Indiana. Rebuilt & reflown in 2001; painted in original 1940s RAF markings as R5239/“39”. Sold 18.12.2007 and re-registered 14.1.2008 to Vina Williams, Madison, Indiana. Sold 16.12.2009 & re-registered 25.3.2010 to Kris M Williams, Seymour, Indiana (based Columbus Municipal Airport). Sold 2.11.2015 and re-registered 3.12.2015 to Mike A Williams, Hartsville, Indiana. Registration N8879 cancelled by FAA 4.5.2019. Renewed 6.8.2021 until 31.8.2024.

1. AAIU Belgium
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ANVV.pdf
3. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oordegem [Dutch Wikipedia - Dutch text]
4. Tiger Moth OO-ACI at Antwerp, Belgium [EBAW] c.1960: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001100546.html
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p830.html
6. Various photos 2004-2010: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/code-number/R-5239
7. http://www.baeten-as.be/OO-ACI%20fotopagina.html
8. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=8879
9. Tiger Moth PH-NLC c.1969 (Note modified 'Fokker' tail): https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1754737

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Sep-2021 20:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category]
14-Sep-2021 20:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
14-Sep-2021 20:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
14-Nov-2022 18:27	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]