Date:	Sunday 5 May 1946
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	St. Andrews UAS RAF
Registration:	DE661
MSN:	85602
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Perth/Scone, New Scone, Perth (PSL/EGPT)
Destination airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife (ADX/EGQL)

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 85602. Taken on charge by the RAF as DE661 at 38 MU Llandow 16.4.42. To 421 Squadron, RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea 27.9.42. Crashed 5.12.42; to Lundy & Atlantic Coast for repairs 15.12.42. To 6 EFTS RAF Sywell, Nothamptonshire 28.1.43, after completion of repairs. To 25 [P] EFTS RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire 24.7.45 coded ‘69’. To Staff Pilot Training Unit, Cark 16.11.45. To 11 EFTS RAF Perth/ Scone, New Scone, Perthshire 14.1.46; operated by St Andrews UAS (University Air Squadron).

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 5.5.46 in a flying accident at RAF Leuchars, Fife. On final approach to RAF Leuchars, Fife, the pilot thought that he may undershoot the landing, so he opened the throttle, to increase power, gain altitude, and "go around again". However, he left this action very late, so late that the Tiger Moth in fact touched down, albeit most of the way along the runway at RAF Leuchars.

Having inadvertently touched down, the pilot decided instead to commit to a landing, but was unable to stop in time before he 'ran out of runway'. The Tiger Moth then struck a sodium runway light, which 'wiped off' the undercarriage.

Tiger Moth DE661 was deemed FACE (Flying Accident Cat.E), Struck off Charge, and converted to instructional airframe 5985M on 6.7.46 at RAF Leuchars for RNAS Donibristle. The pilot was apparently uninjured.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.39 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DE999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.136
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p856.html
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=%20DE661
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jul-2021 12:20	Dr. John Smith	Added
15-Jul-2021 20:09	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
27-Jul-2021 15:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Sep-2021 16:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
06-Sep-2021 19:40	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]