Date:	Sunday 23 September 1990
Time:	13:15
Type:	De Havilland DH 82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Old Flying Circus Museum
Registration:	N9279
MSN:	DHA.61
Total airframe hrs:	5230 hours
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Flying Circus Aerodrome, 5114 Ritchie Rd, Bealeton, VA -   United States of America
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Flying Circus Aerodrome, Bealeton, VA (FAA LID: 3VA3)
Destination airport:	Flying Circus Aerodrome, Bealeton, VA (FAA LID: 3VA3)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
De Havilland DH 82A Tiger Moth MSN DHA.61 (Gipsy Major #86236); Built by DeHavilland Australia at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Taken on charge by the RAAF as A17-64 at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond 14.8.40. To 6 EFTS Tamworth 16.9.40. To 8 EFTS Narrandera 20.4.42. To DH Australia at Mascot, Sydney, NSW 22.6.42 for overhaul; to 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond 7.8.42. To 1 AOS 10.8.42. To 11 EFTS Benalla 30.11.42; to storage reserve 25.7.45. To Care & Maintenance Unit Benalla 1.3.46; for sale 7.6.46.

Struck off RAAF charge when sold 8.9.46 to Association of Australian Aero Clubs, Sydney for £100; issued 13.10.46. Australian civil registered as VH-AQR (C of R 1752) 17.12.50 to Casino Aero Club, Casino, NSW. Re-registered 6.10.51 to Keith W Richardson, St George, Queensland. Re-registered 21.9.56 to St George & District Aero Club, St George, Queensland. Withdrawn from use and registration VH-AQR cancelled 6.4.62.

Sold to Maurice Whittington/The Stag Lane Flight, Avalon, NSW [by/in 10.70]. Sold 2.71 to John Frizzell Junior, VA & rebuilt by The Stag Lane Flight (by 27.9.71). Fitted with Gipsy Major #83079. Registration VH-AQR cancelled as "Sold to USA" 31.10.71.

Registered un USA as N9279 (application dated 29.11.71) on 6.1.72 to Rev John R Frizzell Jr, Annandale, VA (to Alexandria, VA 11.86). C of A issued 17.1.72. Operated (by 11.87) by The Old Flying Circus Museum, Bealeton, VA. Badly damaged when struck by Ryan ST3KR N57015 while taxying after landing at Flying Circus Aerodrome, 5114 Ritchie Rd, Bealeton, VA 23.9.90

According to the NTSB Report into the accident:
"THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER A BRIEF LOCAL FLIGHT, HE LANDED TO THE NORTH ON THE NORTH-SOUTH GRASS STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OUT AND THE PILOT TURNED LEFT ONTO THE DIAGONAL GRASS STRIP, AND BEGAN TO TAXI SOUTHEASTBOUND TOWARD HIS HANGAR.

HE REPORTED THAT 'AS I TAXIED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE RYAN ON TAKEOFF...HIT ME. I NEVER SAW HIM.' HE ALSO STATED THAT THE PILOT OF THE RYAN NEVER SAW HIM, AND ATTRIBUTED THIS TO A CREST IN THE RUNWAY. THE RYAN PILOT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A SIGNAL FROM THE GROUND FLAGMAN INDICATING THAT HE WAS CLEARED TO BEGIN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL.

PROBABLE CAUSE:THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A VIGILENT WATCH FOR OTHER AIRCRAFT OPERATING ON THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. THE UNEVEN TERRAIN ON THE AIRPORT RESTRICTED VISIBILITY AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE IMPROPER SIGNALS GIVEN BY THE GROUND FLAGMAN."

Sold 3.9.91 and re-registered 10.10.91 to John W Thomason, Sonoma, CA for rebuild. Sold 1992 for rebuild by/for Tony Banham, Houston, TX. Bill of Sale dated 6.10.93 and re-registered N282TM initially reserved by Anthony P (Tony) Banham, Houston, TX; registration Not Taken Up. Re-registered N282DH 1.11.93 to same owner Rebuild nearing completion 1998 (and 12.2001); Aircraft was 90% complete; engine had run. Finished in original colour scheme as when put into service with the RAAF in 1940. Still on rebuild for owner at Houston (in 2003) by David Walmsley with structural problems encountered; roaded on Walmsley’s relocation (2004) to Longmont, near Denver, CO. First reflown after rebuild at Longmont, near Denver, CO 25.5.2009; painted as A17-64.

Sold 25.3.2011 to Air Paradive Ltd, Israel (still with Gipsy Major #83079). Registration N9279 cancelled 29.3.2011 as sold to Israel. Re-registered 4X-AAT 4.2011 to Air Paradive Ltd/Paradive Club (Dan Mokady), Habonim; delivered 25.5.2011, assembled & reflown 30.9.2011; still painted in 1940 RAAF colours as A17-64.

NOTE: N9279 was the US registration for this Tiger Moth...not to be confused with Tiger Moth MSN 82380, which had the RAF serial of N9279 (and was Struck off charge as scrap on 23.4.53).

1. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus0.html
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
4. NTSB Accident Number BFO90LA078A: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001212X24204&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=LA
5. FAA: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9279
6. https://www.flyingcircusairshow.com/map.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bealeton,_Virginia#Local_attractions
8. https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=151695

Tiger Moth 4X-AAT at Habonim Air Strip, Israel, 3.1.2012: Tiger Moth 4X-AAT, at the Paradive Flight Gallery in Habonim landing strip, Israel 27.6.2014:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Dec-2016 19:25	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
19-Jan-2022 22:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]