Date:	Wednesday 26 November 1958
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Bush Aviation Ltd
Registration:	ZK-BFL
MSN:	84114
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Merino Downs, Otago -   New Zealand
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Merino Downs, Mackenzie Basin Region, West Otago
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 84114; Taken on charge by the RAF as T5978, nominally at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire 12.1.41. However, placed into long-stroage in ‘purgatory’ at Eyles & Eyles Garage, Headington, Oxford; returned to Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford for erection 2.7.41. To HQ Flight, 5 Ferry Pilots Pool, RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire 9.7.41. To HQ Flight Army Co-operation Command Communications Flight, RAF White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire [by 31.12.41]. To 245 Squadron, RAF Lydd, Kent 27.8.43; moved with squadron to RAF Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex 10.43. To 38 MU RAF Llandow, Glamorgan 30.4.44 amd placed into long-term storage.

Struck off charge when sold 8.5.46 to Royal Aero Club, London. UK civil registered as G-AHXB (CofR 10422/1) 27.6.46 to The London Aeroplane Club, Panshanger Aerodrome, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. C of A 7977 issued 20.1.47. Damaged in crash at Panshanger Aerodrome, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire 16.11.47; repaired and returned to service. Registration amended 20.1.48 to The London Aero Club Ltd, Panshanger Aerodrome, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. New C of R R2070 issued 9.11.50. Registration G-AHXB cancelled 17.3.54 as 'sold to New Zealand'.

New Zealand civil registered as ZK-BFL 13.5.54 to Stevenson Holdings Ltd. New Zealand CofA issued 13.5.54. Registered 26.8.54 to Southland & Otago Aerial Topdressing Co Ltd, Dunedin. Re-registered 16.6.55 to Central Aviation Ltd, Roxburgh. Re-registered 21.7.58 to Bush Aviation Ltd, Gore. Badly damaged on take-off Merino Downs, Mackenzie Basin Region, West Otago 26.11.58; pilot R G Bush

Repaired and returned to service. Crashed at Freshford, Waikaia Valley, Southland District, Southland Region, New Zealand 5.9.59. Registration ZK-BFL cancelled 4.7.60. Broken up as a source of parts for Tiger Moth ZK-CCH.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AHXB.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p841.html
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
5. ZK-BFL (still as G-AHXB) at Denham, Buckinghamshire 7.3.53: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/5561147592/
6. Tiger Moth ZK-BFL at Roxborough (NZRX) in 1958: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001256996.html
7. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-May-2009 12:58	XLerate	Added
02-Dec-2021 19:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category]
29-Jan-2022 18:22	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type, Location]