Date:	Tuesday 14 September 2004
Time:	11:20
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Delta Aviation Ltd
Registration:	G-ADGT
MSN:	3338
Year of manufacture:	1955
Engine model:	De Havilland Gipsy Major I
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Oxford Airport, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Oxford Airport, Kidlington, Oxfordshire
Destination airport:	Oxford Airport, Kidlington, Oxfordshire
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN3338 (Gipsy Major #8099); UK civil registered as G-ADGT [C of R 5798] 23.5.35 to Brooklands Aviation Ltd and operated by 6 E&RFTS RAF Sywell, Northamptonswhire. C of A 4853 issued 28.6.35. Unit renamed 6 EFTS upon outbreak of war 3.9.39 coded ‘4’.

Registration G-ADGT cancelled 17.9.40 by Secretary of State, Air Ministry. Impressed into military service as BB697 17.9.40. Stayed with 6 EFTS at Sywell. To 26 EFTS RAF Theale, Reading, Berkshire 15.7.42 coded “B26”. To 12 MU RAF Kirkbride, Cumberland 18.7.45. To 652 Squadron, Deilinghofen, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Zone of West Germany, 17.10.45. Moved with squadron to ALG B.118/RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, British Zone of Occupation, West Germany. To 151 RU (Repair Unit) Luneberg Heath, West Germany 9.5.46. To 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 5.5.47 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 27.8.47 to Laygold Co Ltd, Reading, Berkshire and stored unconverted. Noted for sale 6.51 on premises of Star Motors, London Road, Reading (but absent 6.52). To D Goldstein/Staravia, Blackbushe, Hampshire by 1.56 for sale for £50. Sold 4.57 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth and re-registered to them as G-ADGT (C of R R5961/2) 29.4.57. Overhauled and reflown 5.7.57; C of A renewed 10.7.57.

Registration cancelled 1.7.57 and re-registered (C of R R5961/3) 25.7.57 to Crop Culture (Aerial) Ltd, Bembridge, Isle of Wight [and spray equipment fitted 31.7.57]. Flown to West Africa 14.8.57 as cargo inside Bristol 170 G-AHJD ex-Eastleigh, Southampton. Returned to Bembridge, Isle of Wight, and roaded to Portsmouth 1.60 for repairs. Also reported as to Portsmouth 14.11.60 for possible sale. Registration cancelled 23.8.61 and re-registered (C of R R5961/4) 7.9.61 to Westwick Distributors Ltd, Ludham/Foulsham (as a replacement of crashed Tiger Moth G-APFS). Damaged in forced landing in pea field 2.8.66. Dismantled and returned to Ludham for storage; rear fuselage fitted to G-APIG 7.67. Registration G-ADGT cancelled 3.10.67 as PWFU ("Permanently Witdrawn From Use").

Reported at Swanton Morley in 1972. Sold 8.73 to Howard Gray, Beckenham, Kent. Sold 1974 and re-registered (C of R R5961/5) on 9.9.74 to David Ronald Wood & Mollie Wood, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Rebuilt 1974-88 and to Biggin Hill for final assembly 5.88. C of A renewed 19.8.88; later based Fowle Hall Farm, Paddock Wood. C of A lapsed 18.8.97; stored Laddington. Sold 2002 to Howard & Jillian Franks [overhauled by Crofton Aeroplane Services, Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire]; C of A renewed 11.11.2002. Re-registered (C of R G-ADGT/R6) 27.1.2003 to Jillian (Nia) Franks & Michael Francis Dalton, Thetford, Norfolk. Re-registered 12.9.2003 to Michael Francis Dalton, Thetford [operated by Delta Aviation, Old Buckenham, Norfolk].

Substantially damaged 14.9.2004 in a take off accident at Oxford Airport, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxfordshire. According to the AAIB Report into the accident:

"Shortly after taking off the engine suffered a reduction in power, as a result of a sticking exhaust valve, that required the pilot to undertake a forced landing within the airfield perimeter. The aircraft landed heavily, which resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear and the propeller blades striking the ground.

On the day of the accident the wind was reported as 230 degrees/10 to 15 knots and the pilot, who was a flying instructor, planned to carry out a series of flights, with a student, covering Exercises 1 to 6 and 9 of the JAR-PPL syllabus. Following two uneventful flights of 30 minutes duration each, the pilot then experienced difficulty in starting the hot engine for the third detail of the day. In accordance with the operators normal procedure, the magnetos were switched off and the engine was turned backwards through 12 revolutions in order to purge the cylinders through the exhaust ports. The engine started and power checks were carried out prior to the aircraft taxing to the threshold of Runway 27, where it held for a short period whilst awaiting clearance to take off.

The engine performance and aircraft's initial acceleration were normal and once airborne the engine speed was reduced from 2,150 rpm to 2,050 rpm for a standard' climb. At a height of about 150 ft, the engine speed decreased by about 450 rpm and it started to run roughly; the engine did not respond to the throttle being moved to the full power position.

With a rough running engine and insufficient power to climb the pilot was left with the option of either landing ahead or turning approximately 90º to the left to land in the airfield helicopter landing area. The first option entailed negotiating a hedge, a dual carriageway and a footpath, whereas the second option required the aircraft to turn sufficiently to the left to miss some houses and aerials sited on the airfield.

The pilot selected the second option and successfully remained clear of the obstacles, before touching down heavily on the left wheel with the aircraft banked to the left. The aircraft was then seen to bounce several times before the left Main Landing Gear (MLG) collapsed, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft ground looped 180º to the left before it came to rest in the helicopter landing area.

=Damage to aircraft=
The left MLG lower casting and locating bolt had failed during the landing, which allowed the left wing to drop and the propeller blades to strike the ground. The outer portion of both wooden blades broke off approximately four inches in from the blade tips. The repair organisation, who recovered the aircraft, considered that the casting and locating bolt had failed due to a high side load imparted into the left MLG as it made contact with the relatively soft turf"

Re-registered 4.3.2005 to Aviation Ventures Ltd (Delta Aviation), Cambridge (aircraft based at Andrewsfield, Essex). Undercarriage collapsed in forced landing on take-off at Oxford Airport, Kidlington 14.9.2005; repaired and C of A renewed 5.5.2006. Re-registered 30.10.2008 to The Tiger Club (1990) Ltd, Headcorn. Badly damaged when veered off runway and collided with hedge Headcorn 18.7.2010 (see AAIB Report, link #10).

Re-registered (C of R G-ADGT/R7) 29.7.2014 to Finest Hour Warbirds Ltd (Christopher Mark Thompson), Bicester. On rebuild by Rex Ford [2018]. Re-registered 30.3.2020 to The London Aerobatic Co Ltd (Christopher Mark Thompson), Bicester, Oxfordshire. On rebuild [1.2012-2021] by Ian Castle at Sywell. Currently registered and to be operated by Finest Hour Experiences, Bicester.

1. AAIB; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fd0f40f0b61342000813/G-ADGT_1-06.pdf
2. CAA History of G-ADGT 1935-40, 1947-61: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ADGT-1.pdf
3. CAA History of G-ADGT 1961-74: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ADGT-2.pdf
4. AAIB Accident 18.7.2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fd9fed915d1371000951/DH82A_Tiger_Moth__G-ADGT_12-10.pdf
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p033.html
7. http://www.finesthourwarbirds.co.uk/tiger-moth-g-adgt/g-adgt-restoration/
8. http://www.finesthourwarbirds.co.uk/tiger-moth-g-adgt/gallery/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._652_Squadron_RAF#Post_war_service
10. https://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/news/tiger-moth-g-adxt
11. https://www.key.aero/forum/general-aviation/104399-tiger-moth-incident-at-headcorn
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Airport

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

18 July 2010	G-ADGT	The Tiger Club	0	Headcorn Aerodrome, Ashford, Kent		sub
Bounced on landing

Manchester Barton (EGCB), Lancshire, UK - 10th July 2007

Manchester- Barton Airfield (EGCB) Lancashire, UK - 10th July 2007

Manchester- Barton City Airport (EGCB) Lancashire, UK - 10th July 2007

Manchester- Barton City Airport (EGCB) Lancashire, UK - 10th July 2007

Tiger Moth G-ADGT over Sywell, July 2003: Scan of a negative, turned to sepia, and scratches dust etc left on to give a period feel. Ivor Gibbs flying G-ADGT. D R Wood from Biggin Hill operated two Tiger Moths, G-ANCX and this one - G-ADGT. Photo: Dick Gilbert, The 10th and Last Great Warbirds Air Display, West Malling, 25 August 1991

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Jan-2008 22:13	JINX	Added
14-Dec-2011 16:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
05-Dec-2014 02:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
18-Aug-2016 01:16	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
24-Feb-2020 16:54	Peter Clarke	Updated [Photo]
01-Apr-2020 09:56	Peter Clarke	Updated [Photo]
02-Apr-2020 14:17	Peter Clarke	Updated [Photo]
02-Apr-2020 14:17	Anon.	Updated [Photo]
01-Feb-2022 17:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]
08-Feb-2022 17:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
08-Feb-2022 17:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Embed code]]