Date:	Wednesday 28 October 1942
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	3 EFTS RNZAF
Registration:	NZ1447
MSN:	DHNZ127
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sea off Motunau Island, Canterbury -   New Zealand
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Rongotai Airport, Wellington, New Zealand
Destination airport:	RNZAF Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand

Narrative:
de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth MSN DHNZ.127: Taken on charge as NZ1447 at Rongotai, Wellington 8.10.42

The newly-built aircraft was on its delivery flight to 3 EFTS when it was upset by strong and gusty NW winds and crashed upside down in the sea before the pilot could regain control. The passenger drowned, but the pilot managed to swim ashore.

Crew of Tiger Moth NZ1447:
Flying Officer J Cruikshank (pilot) RNZAF swam to shore
Sergeant Neill (NZ39749) Ernest KING (passenger) RNZAF died (drowned) 28-10-42

Tiger Moth NZ1447 was Written off the books at Harewood 13.12.42.

The reported crash location was 3 miles south of Motunau Island, a small, 3 ha (7.4 acres), island nature reserve lying 1.2 km (0.75 miles) off the coast of New Zealand's South Island, at the northern end of Pegasus Bay, south of the mouth of the Motunau River.

1. King, John (1995). Aviation Accidents and Disasters. New Zealand Tragedies. Wellington: Grantham House. pp. 83. ISBN 1 86934 042 6.
2. For Your Tomorrow Vol 1 (1915 to 1942) By Errol W. Martyn - 1 July 1942 to 31 Dec 1942 (Part B)
3. Ministry of Defence Accident File 27-12-697
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzdh82.htm
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pNZ1.html
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2919859/NEILL%20ERNEST%20KING/
8. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?25385-1942-Unaccounted-Airmen-Database-Reconciliation/page21&highlight=KING&p=147906#post147906
9. https://steemkr.com/history/@len.george/de-havilland-tiger-moth-dh-82a-nz-1421-to-nz-1465-1939-to-1956-part-6
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motunau_Island

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-May-2009 00:29	XLerate	Added
05-Jun-2009 19:17	angels one five	Updated
11-Jun-2009 02:02	angels one five	Updated
24-Sep-2009 00:32	angels one five	Updated
02-Jun-2012 12:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
15-Sep-2013 07:58	angels one five	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative]
04-Feb-2019 15:54	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator]
15-Aug-2021 23:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
15-Aug-2021 23:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
16-Aug-2021 11:53	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]
26-Jan-2022 06:04	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type]
12-Feb-2022 01:49	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]