ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 408
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| Date: | Saturday 16 February 2002 |
| Time: | 15:30 LT |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Colin M Rodgers |
| Registration: | VH-AJG |
| MSN: | DHA.382 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 2 km SW of Williamtown Airport, Newcastle, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Newcastle Airport, Williamtown, NSW (YWLM) |
| Newcastle Airport, Williamtown, NSW (YWLM) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN DHA.382; Built by DH Australia at Bankstown, Stydney, NSW. Taken on charge by the RAAF as A17-347 at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond 11.5.41. To Station HQ Flight Canberra 27.5.41 for storage. To CFS Camden 16.8.41. To 2 EFTS Archerfield 29.9.41. To 5 EFTS Narromine 13.4.42. Overturned on take-off Narromine 1.4.43; to Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow, NSW 14.4.43 for repairs. To 2 Aircraft Park 22.10.43. To 10 EFTS Temora 1.11.43; to storage reserve 20.8.45; transferred to Care & Maintenance Unit 12.3.46; for sale 7.6.46.
Struck off charge when sold 21.10.46 for £100 to Association of Australian Aero Clubs, Sydney; issued 25.11.46. Australian civil registered as VH-AJG (C of R 1374) 14.8.47 to The Truscott Club for Aeronauts, Bankstown, Sydney NSW. Registration cancelled 11.9.48. Regd 17.9.48 to Air-Griculture Control Ltd, Sydney, NSW. Crashed into trees on take-off Nowra, NSW 7.5.49 (reportedly still owned by Truscott Club). Registration cancelled 26.8.49.
Sold 16.2.51 to John Murray-Curtis, Coolah, NSW; registered to him 20.10.53. Re-registered 30.5.64 to Gunnar S Andersen, Kandos, NSW. Re-registered 26.6.65 to Montague C C Cotton, Oberon, NSW. Re-registered 8.8.66 to Bathurst Soaring Group, Oberon, NSW for use as a glider tug. Crashed on landing at Nestle Brae, near Oberon, NSW 7.5.67; passenger killed. Registration cancelled 5.3.68.
Re-registered 31.3.88 to Colin M Rodgers, Hunters Hill, NSW; painted in RAAF colours as A17-347. Crashed near Williamtown, NSW 16.2.2002; both on board killed. According to the ATSB Report into the incident:
"The pilot hired the de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth aircraft, registered VH-AJG, to undertake a local pleasure flight with a friend. The aircraft took off from a grassed area parallel to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base Williamtown's main runway between the eastern end of the runway and taxiway `A'. During the takeoff, the aircraft was observed to veer right and strike and destroy two taxiway lights with the right wheel. The pilot continued the takeoff and the aircraft departed the Williamtown circuit area at 14:28 Eastern Summer Time (EST).
Based on witness reports and radio transmissions by the pilot, the aircraft initially conducted a sightseeing flight over the coastal suburbs of Newcastle City. About 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilot broadcast that he was transiting north through the Williamtown Mandatory Broadcast Zone west of the coast. The aircraft subsequently joined the Williamtown circuit from the north at 15:19 EST.
The actual flight profile and manoeuvres conducted during the flight are not known. Shortly after joining the circuit, the aircraft was observed to depart level flight and impact the ground approximately 2 km southwest of the Williamtown airport. Both occupants were fatally injured and there was no evidence of fire in flight or after the impact.
A helicopter with an instructor and student on board was in the circuit area, about 1.5 km behind the Tiger Moth. The helicopter was about 800 ft above ground level and maintaining approximately 60 kts. The helicopter crew estimated that the Tiger Moth was flying at the same speed and altitude. The helicopter's pilots reported observing the left wings fold up, the aircraft rotate and fall almost vertically in a steep nose-down attitude rotating only a couple of times before impacting the ground.
A witness on the ground reported observing the aircraft's right wings fold back, followed by the aircraft spinning or spiralling to the ground. Another witness reported seeing the right wings folding up, making the wings into an `L' shape and about a metre long silver pole flying up from the cockpit area. The aircraft then started turning to the right. None of the witnesses reported observing the aircraft changing altitude or commencing a turn prior to the loss of control".
According to published sources (see links #6, #7 & #8 ) the two crew killed were named as "Flight Lieutenant Euan Duncan RAAF (aged 39, ex-RAF) and Flying Oficer Luke Morrall RAAF (aged 23)"
Registration VH-AJG cancelled 27.3.2002
Sources:
1. ATSB Report: http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2002/aair/aair200200377.aspx
2. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-AJG.html
3. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au//2a17.shtml
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus3.html
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
6. https://www.pprune.org/dunnunda-godzone-pacific/23205-tiger-moth-crash-kills-two-williamtown.html
7. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-02-27/crash-investigation-fails-to-establish-cause/1222044
8. https://defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4404/story05.htm
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle_Airport_(New_South_Wales)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2008 10:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 02-Feb-2012 17:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 25-Jan-2022 23:57 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 30-Jan-2022 02:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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