Date:	Friday 29 July 1960
Time:	13:00
Type:	de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	J.M. Smeets
Registration:	PH-NIK
MSN:	83584
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Terlet Airfield, Gelderland -   Netherlands
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Banner and glider towing
Departure airport:	Terlet Airfield, Terlet, Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands (EHTL)
Destination airport:	Terlet Airfield, Terlet, Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands (EHTL)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth MSN 83584 (built by Morris Motors, Cowley, Oxford); Taken on charge by the RAF as T7145 at 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire 27.7.40. To 1 EFTS RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire 7.11.40. To 28 EFTS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 1.11.41. Crashed 12.5.42; aircraft accident near Bishop's Wood, Staffordshire. Both crew - Sergeant S B Wood (Instructor), Sergeant I Swiecicki (Polish, Pilot Under Training) - survived but injured

To Southern Aircraft, Gatwick for repairs 17.5.42. To 39 MU RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 14.6.42 after reapirs complete. To 10 Flying Instructors School, RAF Woodley, Reading, Berskhire 6.2.43. To 11 EFTS RAF Perth/Scone, Perthshire 10.7.44, coded ‘FIB-J’. To 11 RFS RAF Perth/Scone, Perthsire 26.6.47, coded “21”. To 62 Group Communications Flight, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 14.5.52. To 81 Group Communications Flight, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 15.8.52; renamed Colerne Communications Squadron 7.52. To 12 MU RAF Kirkbride, Cumberland 5.2.53 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 18.11.53 to A.J. Whittemore [Aeradio] Ltd, Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. Registered as G-APFT (C of R R6118) 27.8.57 to Rollason Aircraft & Engines Ltd, Croydon. C of A issued 22.11.57. Registration cancelled 22.11.57 as 'sold to Holland'.

Registered in the Netherlands as PH-NIK (C of R 609) 4.2.58 to J.M. Smeets, Maastricht; named "Spoed-Nik". Damaged in collision at Zwartberg Airfield, Belgium 1.1.60 and returned to Rollasons, Croydon for rebuild. Zwartberg Airfield (Vliegveld Zwartberg) is an airport located 6 km north-northeast of Genk, Limburg, Belgium, at approximate coordiantes 51°0′55″N, 5°31′35″E.

Written off 29.7.60 in an accident at Terlet Airfield, Terlet, 2.5nm North of Arnhem, Gelderland. Translation of accident report: "A limited amount of banner towing was allowed from glider airfield Terlet, with special permission only. Straight after the first flight the pilot was instructed to strictly follow the regulations and not to cross the winch path again.

After the second take off the pilot failed to pick up the banner. The pilot continued initially on a straight out heading but then turned right whilst still over the winch path. At that moment the Schleicher Ka 6 glider PH-262 was being launched. The Tiger Moth collided with the winch cable. As the winches’ cutting mechanism failed the aircraft was being pulled downwards by the cable after which it crashed into the ground. The aircraft was heavily damaged, the pilot received severe head injury.

The Board judged the pilot had acted most irresponsibly and deemed grave sanctions were in order. However, since the pilot had been injured severely and already had been fined by a sub-district court, the Board confined itself to a reprimand."

Returned to Croydon by 11.61 but not rebuilt. Registration G-APFT cancelled 28.11.60. Stored Croydon until 9.66; to Rollasons store at Rochester, Kent and burnt in clearout 1979.

Terlet Airfield (ICAO: EHTL) is a small airfield in the Netherlands 2.5 nautical miles north of Arnhem in Gelderland and close to Deelen Air Base at approximate cordinates 52°3′ 26″ N, 5°55′28″ E. It is used mainly by gliders and motor gliders, as well as some light aircraft, that are used as tugs for the gliders.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. The British Civil Aircraft Register G-APAA to G-APZZ (Bernard Martin, 1978 p.20)
3. http://www.hdekker.info/registermap/MN.htm
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR81/14240: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17206877
5. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-APFT.pdf
6. https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?24189-Pics-from-1952-where-to-post/page5
7. http://dutchtigermoth.com/PH-NIK/index.html
8. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p835.html
10. Tiger Moth PH-NIK at Croydon in 1957: https://aflyinghistory.com/search-aeroplane-photographs?query=PH-NIK
11. http://www.hdekker.info/Nieuwe%20map/1960.htm#29.07.1960
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terlet_Airfield .

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

1 January 1960

PH-NIK

J.M. Smeets

0

Genk-Zwartberg Airfield, Genk, Limburg

sub

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Jan-2008 10:00	ASN archive	Added
25-Apr-2012 18:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
07-Jun-2020 11:49	Cobar	Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Narrative]
06-Jan-2021 13:33	MaartenH	Updated [Narrative]
24-Sep-2021 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
11-Dec-2021 19:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
11-Dec-2021 19:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
22-Mar-2022 23:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
12-Jun-2022 06:18	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]