Date:	Sunday 14 September 2008
Time:	13:20 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Ace Flight Training LLP (reg. owners)
Registration:	G-AHVV
MSN:	86123
Year of manufacture:	1943
Engine model:	De Havilland Gipsy Major I
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Runway 23, Dunkeswell Airfield, Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon (EGTU)
Destination airport:	Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon (EGTU)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 86123; Taken on charge as EM929 at 48 MU RAF Hawarden, Cheshire 20.5.43. To 25 (P)EFTS RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire 11.6.43, coded ‘81’ or ‘82’. To 33 MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 26.11.45. To 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 6.3.46 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 13.5.46 to Loch Leven Aero Club. UK civil registrered G-AHVV (CofR 10391/1) 24.6.46 to McDonald Aircraft Ltd, Balado, Kinloss. C of A 7955 issued 23.7.46. Regsitration cancelled 19.5.47 and re-registered 31.5.47 to Plymouth Aero Club Ltd, Exeter Aero Club Ltd, Weston Aero Club Ltd and Home Counties Flying Club Ltd.

Badly damaged when stalled and crashed on landing Roborough, Plymouth, Devon 27.8.50; repaired and returned to service. New C of R No R2470 issued 1950. Re-registered 15.2.58 to Plymouth & District Aero Club Ltd, Roborough, Plymouth, Devon. Registration cancelled 8.8.60 and re-registrered (C pof R R2470/3) on 23.8.60 to Roderick Holden Satchwell, Lionel Albert Finch, Brian Williamson, George Seymour & Anthony Michael, trustees of the assets of the Worcester Aero Group, Wolverhampton.

Registration cancelled and re-registered (C of R R2470/4) on 28.8.62 to Michael John Lawrence, Hunnington, Worcestershire (aircraft remained based at Pendeford Airfield, Wolverhampton). Registration cancelled 24.2.65 and re-registered (C of R R2470/5) 3.3.65 to Michael Hennessy, Wolverhampton. Overturned in forced landing near Mont St Michel, France 27.6.65; repaired and returned to service.

Registration cancelled 1.10.65 and re-registered (C of R R2470/6) 18.10.65 to Derek Roy Wilcox, Northampton & Frederick David Cresswell Luddington, Bedford (aircraft based at Cranfield,Bedfordshire). Registration cancelled 15.2.71 and re-registered (C pf R R2470/7) on 10.5.71 to Christopher David Cyster, Northiam, Rye, East Sussex (aircraft based at Lympne, Kent). Stalled and crashed on landing when dived into the ground following an aerobatic manouevre at Lympne, Kent 12.12.71. The damage sustained, however, cannot have been too severe as the Tiger Moth was sold on the next year, on 14.1.72 (CAA formally notified 27.4.72) but not re-registrered.

Re-registered (C of R R2470/8) on 25.9.72 to Ralph Jones (Southern Sailplanes Ltd), Hungerford, Berkshire. Withdrawn from use and stored by 4.82; on rebuild by Southern Sailpanes at Membury [9.89-12.99]. First Reflown after rebuild 16.1.2000; C of A renewed 19.1.2000. Re-registerd (C of R G-AHVV/R9) on 2.3.00 to Ms Benedicte Marie Pullen, Andover, Hamlshire [as nominee for Roger Pullen]; aircraft based at Thruxton, Andover, Hampshire later Barton Ashes, Winchester, Hampshire). Re-registered (C of R G-AHVV/R10) on 15.8.2005 to Ace Flight Training LLP [Rob Wotton], Dunkeswell.

Forced landed following engine failure on take-off from Runway 23, Dunkeswell Airfield, 5 miles North of Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon, 14.9.2008, striking a cow on touchdown. According to the AAIB Report into the incident (see link #1):

"Shortly after takeoff, when at approximately 200 ft above ground level, the engine speed dropped to idle. The pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft to maintain flying speed and turned right to land in a suitable field. The aircraft cleared a sturdy barbed wire fence but, as the aircraft touched down, a cow ran under and struck the left wing, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The cow was apparently uninjured.

The aircraft rolled to a halt and the two occupants, who were uninjured, vacated the aircraft normally. Investigation of the aircraft by a local engineer found corrosion debris in the carburettor float bowl, and this appeared to have originated from within the float bowl itself. The fuel tank, fuel lines and fuel filter were found to be clean. It is likely that this debris had blocked the carburettor jets, causing the reduction in power, as the engine ran normally once the debris had been removed".

There was a later update to the AAIB Report (see link #2):

"Since the publication of the initial bulletin further investigation has been undertaken by the operator. The magnetos were tested and found to be faulty; one lost all sparks as the timing was advanced and the other fluctuated between nil and three sparks. At the idle position, sparks were generated normally by one magneto and intermittently by the other. A strip examination of both magnetos concluded that oil contamination and the coils breaking down with heat were the reasons for the failures.

The operator has advised that in future they will be considering the number of starts when determining the testing and maintenance requirements for the magnetos, rather than solely using hours or calendar time. The operator will also be ensuring in future that any oil contamination of the magnetos is acted upon as soon as possible".

Repaired by PPS (Personal Plane Services) at Booker, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (in 2009-10). Re-registered (C of R G-AHVV/R11) on 13.4.2010 to Margaret Arter, Axminster (aircraft remained based at Dunkeswell, Devon; moved to Eaglescott 2011).C of A lapsed 4.6.2016. Currently registered.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft EA100-EZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. AAIB Bulletin: 12/2008 G-AHVV EW/G2008/09/08: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f60be5274a1314000587/DH82A_Tiger_Moth__G-AHVV_12-08.pdf
3. AAIB Bulletin Update: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ff6e40f0b6134200092d/DH82A_Tiger_Moth__G-AHVV_Addendum_07-09.pdf
4. CAA History of G-AHVV 1946-60: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AHVV-1.pdf
5. CAA History of G-AHVV 1960-71: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AHVV-2.pdf
6. CAA History of G-AHVV 1971-2000: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AHVV-3.pdf
7. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
8. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p861.html
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15908.0
10. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-AHVV/1026871
11. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3810872/Pilot-in-YouTube-cow-crash-landing-describes-the-drama.html
12. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1094887/Caught-camera-The-amazing-moment-plane-crash-landed--bowled-hapless-COW.html
12. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28284759/ns/world_news-weird_news/t/plane-hits-cow-emergency-landing/#.VIj_9DGsWSo
13. https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=61950
14. https://metro.co.uk/2008/12/17/pilot-tells-of-the-moment-he-hit-a-cow-248081/
15. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/816122
16. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3810872/Pilot-in-YouTube-cow-crash-landing-describes-the-drama.html
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkeswell_Aerodrome

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Apr-2010 10:03	Petro	Added
18-Jan-2011 02:28	harro	Updated [Date, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]
18-Jan-2011 02:30	harro	Updated [Nature]
20-Apr-2012 11:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
11-Dec-2014 02:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
08-Feb-2022 16:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
08-Feb-2022 16:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]