ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300125
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| Date: | Sunday 20 December 1970 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | De Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor |
| Owner/operator: | Nelson Richard Wilson |
| Registration: | VH-KHJ |
| MSN: | 94070 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Wonthaggi, Gippsland, VIC -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Wonthaggi, Gippsland, Victoria |
mid-1939: Construction commenced by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd at Hatfield, England
31.7.39: Allotted registration G-AFOS but Not Taken Up. Note on aircraft registration card states "available for reallocation as this aircraft not completed".
Note: G-AFOS is not listed on the official British Civil Register, so identity can not be confirmed. It has also been suggested as c/n 94078. Some sources give G-AFPI for 94070, however the official British Register quotes G-AFPI as 94057 which was impressed by RAF as X5116.
Uncompleted at Hatfield when DH.94 production line shut down in 10.39. Application for British C of A cancelled. Sold to De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Sydney. Shipped to Australia
1.1940: Assembled at Mascot to RAAF order for 41 Moth Minors. Test flown at Mascot, Sydney, NSW
14.2.40: Taken on RAAF charge as A21-10. Received at 2 Aircraft Depot RAAF Richmond ex De Havilland Australia, Mascot
8.4.40: Allotted No.1 Armament Training School, Cressy ex-2 Aircraft Depot
14.12.40: Forced landing due engine failure 5 miles east of Cressy Vic, no damage. Pilot Officer I. M. Hamilton unhurt. Unit: Armament Training Station (sic)
31.5.42: Received No.1 Air Navigation School, Parkes ex 1ATS
11.8.42; RAAF file memo: A21-10 is currently held at Parkes in serviceable condition
6.12.43: Issued to No.2 Communications Unit, Mascot ex 1ANS
28.7.44: Received 5 Aircraft Depot Store, Cootamundra ex 2 Communications Unit for storage
22.1.45: Instruction from RAAF HQ: all Moth Minors are "frozen" (grounded) pending disposal by CDC
20.2.45: Included in CDC Tender List No.1 with closing date for tenders 20 February 1945.
22.3.45: Sold by Commonwealth Disposals Commission for £75 to Frederick H. Edwards, Melbourne Victoira
27.3.45: Letter to DCA from Fred H. Edwards on letterhead of Edwards Aero Services, Essendon Airport, Melbourne: he has purchased four Moth Minors from RAAF Cootamundra: A21-3, A-21-10, A21-24, and A21-38. All will be signed out as airworthy by licenced engineer Mr. Jack Hodder, then will be ferried from Cootamundra to Essendon as a group under his supervision by the following pilots: Jack Hodder, A. O. Keilleru, Desmond Cook, Mrs. Gertie McKenzie (later changed to Mr. J. L. Roche). Fred Edwards will be flying Mr. Ouston's Moth Minor A21-19
3.4.45: Edwards wrote to DCA from Cootamundra, where he is preparing for the group ferry flight
4.4.45: RAAF Status Card: Issued to Mr. Edwards
27.10.45: Registration application: Mrs. May L. Kiellerup, Melbourne Victroia. A21-10 quoted on application form
23.8.45: Registered VH-AHJ and C of A issued at Essendon
8.1945: Change of ownership: Mrs. Rita Ditchburn, Melbourne Victoria
29.11.46: Change of ownership: John E. Gleeson & P. Bert Seaton, Albury NSW
19.4.47: noted at Albury NSW
2.1948: DCA file memos: VH-AHJ is stored in Gleeson's motor garage at Albury. The owners complain of poor maintenance on tailplane by Schutt Aircraft at Essendon. Investigation finds that the complaint was unjustified and was motivated by the owners' resentment of a high charge by Schutt for the last C of A renewal at Essendon
7.12.48: C of A expired, not renewed
1950: Crashed through fence and both wings badly damaged. No exact date or location given. Stored in damaged condition at Albury.
7.1950: DCA write to Gleeson & Eaton requiring explanation of the "recent damage" sustained by VH-AHJ while flying without valid C of A. No response given.
6.8.51: Struck-off Register due to DCA 1951 Census of un-airworthy aircraft. Doug Muir, licenced aircraft engineer, recalls purchasing a damaged Moth Minor at Albury which had gone through a fence and wrecked both wings. He moved VH-ACO from Parafield to Moorabbin where he used all parts of ACO except its oil-soaked centre-section in the rebuild of VH-AHJ, which he then sold.
10.3.53: DCA memo: VH-AHJ has been acquired by D.C.Muir, Melbourne and rebuilt by him at Moorabbin using mainplane of VH-ACO brought by road from Parafield.
29.3.53: Restored to Register: Douglas C. Muir, Melbourne Victoria. CofA renewed next day (30.3.53)
27.4.53: Change of ownership: John Clark, Melbourne Victoria
4.1953: DCA report: Clark is training for a private pilot licence with Royal Victorian Aero Club at Moorabbin and VH-AHJ is maintained by Air Operations Pty Ltd, Moorabbin.
29.11.53: Change of ownership: John L. Thomas, Mebourne Victoria
8.10.60: noted at Moorabbin in hangar
28.5.65: Change of ownership: D. H. Heidke, RAAF Laverton Victoria
14.6.65: Ferried Moorabbin to RAAF Laverton on delivery to a flying group of RAAF personnel
10.1965: Traded on PA-22 Colt 108 VH-GWC to Pipeair Pty Ltd, Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne.
16.10.65: VH-AHJ arrived at Moorabbin on delivery to Pipeair and change of ownership: K. H. Jenkin, Cobram Victoria (same day)
22.11.65: VH-AHJ noted at Moorabbin in Pipeair hangar for inspection and repaint for a new owner, to be based at Tocumwal NSW
8.12.65: Re-registered as VH-KHJ
6.2.66: VH-KHJ noted at Albury NSW, white and blue with sharks mouth on nose
5.1966: noted at Moorabbin, parked out on grass, white and blue with shark's mouth on nose
5.1967: noted at Tyabb Victoria, repainted all silver
11.1.67: Change of ownership: M. Verhagen, Tyabb Victoria
29.11.67 : noted at Tyabb Vic, parked outside
1970: Registration lapsed at Tyabb, Victoria & sold (but not re-registered) to Nelson Richard Wilson, Wandin North, Victoria
20.12.70: Forced landing in a farm paddock near Wonthaggi Victoria due to engine failure. No damage in landing. Pilot/owner Nelson Wilson had joined a loose formation with two Austers flown by Roger Pearman and Ted Veil, to fly along the shoreline of the bay to Wonthaggi. VH-KHJ’s engine failed near Wonthaggi due to a rocker-bearing stud coming off at No.3 cylinder. The engine was temporarily repaired on the spot by fitting a bolt found in the farmer’s workshop. Later that day Nelson Wilson attempted to fly out and VH-KHJ then crashed on takeoff Wonthaggi Victoria. After the forced-landing in a small paddock, the only takeoff run required Nelson Wilson to avoid a high fence and power wires at the end. As soon as he was airborne he banked to the right but side-slipped into the ground and the starboard wing struck a fence around a silage pit and the aircraft cart-wheeled to the ground. Extensive damage, with only the port wing and tailplane undamaged. The wreck was moved to Wilson’s property at Wandin North. Useable parts were removed and stored with the undamaged port wing and tailplane. Pilot then allegedly painted aircraft up as “VH-AIB” to avoid prosecution, but was found out. The remainder of VH-KHJ was burnt
(Wonthaggi is a seaside town located 132 kilometres (82 miles) south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia)
5.11.71: Registration cancelled as "destroyed"
11.1972: Wing components noted at Wandin North in shed.
Sources:
1. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AFOS.pdf
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH94.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p940.html
4. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-gb-registers-g-af
5. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh94/dh94mothminor.htm
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonthaggi
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Oct-2022 23:32 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 27-May-2023 08:55 | Ron Averes | Updated |
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