Date:	Friday 29 April 1949
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	236 OCU RAF
Registration:	NL883
MSN:	86330
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife
Destination airport:	RAF Kinloss, Morayshire

Narrative:
de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth MSN 86330: Taken on charge as NL883 at 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire 5.11.43. To 19 FTS RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire 26.5.45; to RAF College Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire 17.4.47. coded “FAE-G”. To 7 FTS RAF Cottesmore, Rutland 29.4.48, coded "FBC-X". To RAF Kinloss 27.4.49 for use by 236 OCU.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 29.4.49: Struck runway light on take-off and undercarriage collapsed at RAF Leuchars on delivery flight. The aircraft had taken off from RAF Leuchars on the final leg of its delivery flight to RAF Kinloss. It had become airborne in a 10-knot crosswind, but had sunk back onto the runway at Leuchars while flying at a low altitude. The Tiger Moth lifted off again, but struck a runway light, ran off the runway into rough ground, and then tipped onto its nose. The pilot was uninjured.

Although the damage was initially assessed as Cat. C (Repairable), Tiger Moth NL883 was not repaired. Instead, Struck off charge as Cat. E (scrap) 13.7.49

236 OCU was formed at RAF Kinloss on 31-7-47 and operated a variety of aircraft including Avro Lancasters, Airspeed Oxfords, and Bristol Beaufighters until 30-9-56 when it was disbanded for the first time to become the Maritime Operational Training Unit. The Tiger Moth was probably intended for use as a crew ferry/'hack' by 236 OCU.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.495
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft NA100-NZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 236 OCU ORB: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/2580
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p864.html
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._236_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF#No._236_OCU
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kinloss#Cold_War
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Leuchars#Cold_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
30-Mar-2023 00:16	Dr. John Smith	Added