Date:	Tuesday 17 July 1951
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	West Malling SF RAF
Registration:	DE982
MSN:	85842
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near RAF West Malling, Maidstone, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF West Malling, Maidstone, Kent
Destination airport:	RAF West Malling, Kent
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 85842; Taken on charge as DE982, nominally at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire 17.8.42. However, placed into long-term storage in ‘purgatory’ in the Oxford area; returned to Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford for erection 21.8.42. To 24 Squadron, RAF Hendon, Middlesex 22.8.42. To HQ 8th Army US Army Air Corps 1.12.42. To Taylorcraft at Rearsby, Leicestershire for repairs 29.12.43; to 38 MU Llandow 24.2.44 upon completion of repairs. To 2 FIS (Flying Instructors School), RAF Montrose 16.2.45. To 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire 17.7.45. To 9 RFS RAF Doncaster, South Yorkshire 13.11.47. To 8 MU RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 11.3.48. To 5 RFS RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshiree 4.11.48. To RAF West Malling, Maidstone, Kent 31.1.51 for use by the Station Flight

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 17.7.51 when the aircraft overturned while making a forced landing near RAF West Malling, due to engine failure. Aircraft deemed "damaged beyond economic repair", and Struck Off Charge as Cat.5(G/I). Relegated to Ground Instructional use as GI Airframe 6887M at RAF Manby 31.8.51. Finally Struck off charge as Cat.5(scrap) 8.12.52

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.115 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.136
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p858.html
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_West_Malling#Night_fighters,_1950s_and_1960s

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Feb-2021 22:53	Dr. John Smith	Added
19-Feb-2021 10:04	Gerard76	Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, Operator]
06-Oct-2021 16:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, Category]
07-Oct-2021 22:04	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]