Date:	Thursday 18 August 2005
Time:	10:34
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Aviation Ventures Ltd
Registration:	G-ACDJ
MSN:	3183
Year of manufacture:	1933
Engine model:	de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Remenham, near Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	White Waltham, Berkshire (EGLM)
Destination airport:	White Waltham, Berkshire (EGLM)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 3183 (Gipsy Major #5116); UK Civil Registered as G-ACDJ [C of R 4145] 6.2.33 to The de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield. C of A 3840 issued 29.3.33. Operated by DH School of Flying; later 1 E&RFTS, Hatfield; coded "7". To 1 EFTS upon outbreak of war 3.9.39 later coded ‘29’. Registration G-ACDJ cancelled 30.10.40 by Secretary of State, Air Ministry.

Impressed into military service as BB729 on 30.10.40. Remained initially with 1 EFTS Hatfield. To 28 EFTS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 1.11.41 coded “107”, also “44” [although latter reported as being of 7 EFTS Desford and may thus be error]. To 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 21.7.45 for long-term storage. To RAF Dyce, Aberdeen 6.6.52. To 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minichinhampton, Gloucestershire 28.11.52 for long term storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 6.11.53 to A J Whittemore [Aeradio] Ltd, Croydon. UK Registration G-ACDJ (C of R R.4270/2) restored 4.12.53 to AJ Whittemore (Aeradio) Ltd, Croydon. Sold to Continental Aircraft Services Ltd, Croydon. Registration cancelled 22.7.55 as sold. To Rollason Aircraft & Engines Ltd, Croydon and overhauled.

Re-registered (C of R R.4270/3) on 26.7.57 to Surrey Aviation Ltd, t/a Surrey Flying Club, Croydon. C of A renewed 30.8.57. Owner reformed 8.59; registration cancelled 25.12.59 and re-registered (C of R R.4270/4) 28.12.59 to Surrey & Kent Flying Club Ltd, Biggin Hill. Damaged when overturned on landing Biggin Hill 15.4.60; repaired and returned to service.

To Sywell, Nerthamptonshire by road in 5.65. Fitted with Gipsy Major #83249 [crankcase ex 80920]. Registration cancelled 1.7.65 and re-registered (C of R R.4270/5) 19.7.65 to Agricultural Aviation & Engineering Ltd, Wood Farm, Denton, Norfolk. Withdrawn from use 8.66; CofA lapsed 12.7.67. Ferried to Horsham St Faith in 6.68 and rebuilt by owners in 1968-69 using spares from Tiger Moth G-AOET; C of A renewed 3.2.69.

Withdrawn from use 15.3.70 and stored (although C of A current to 2.2.72). Registration cancelled 21.4.71 as sold (notified 21.6.71); believed remained in Denton area (although reportedly to Fred Terry in 1971). Re-registered (C of R R4270/6) 5.3.73 to Frederick James Terry, Siegecross Farm, Thatcham. Rebuilt by Cyril Pugh and C of A renewed 17.5.74. Fitted with Gipsy Major #82020 [in 1979]. Owner moved to Lydney, Gloucestershire (CAA notified 7.9.81). C of A lapsed 30.3.85; renewed 9.6.86. C of A lapsed 8.6.89. Re-registered (C of R G-ACDJ/R7) 10.9.90 to Peter Henley & John Kevin Moorhouse, Warminster. Wiltshire and Stockport, Cheshire.

Rebuilt at Woodford, Cheshire and first reflown after rebuild 30.9.91. CofA renewed 17.10.91, based Brickhouse Farm, Frogland Cross, painted in 1936-era DH School of Flying colours. Re-registered (C of R G-ACDJ/R8) on 19.2.97 to Peter Henley [only], Warminster, Wiltshire [aircraft based at Brickhouse Farm, Frogland Cross]. Sold 17.7.2001 to Bob Gibson & partners, White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire and re-registered (C of R G-ACDJ/R9) 29.8.01 to The De Havilland School of Flying Ltd, White Waltham. Re-registered (C of R G-ACDJ/R10) 18.5.2005 to Aviation Ventures Ltd [Delta Aviation], Cambridge [aircraft remained based at White Waltham].

Written off (destroyed) when crashed at Remenham, near Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire 18.8.2005; 2 on board killed. According to the AAIB report into the accident:

"During a pleasure flight in good weather conditions the aircraft was observed to enter a spin to the right from which it did not recover. The pilot and passenger both sustained fatal injuries. Despite extensive investigation, the cause of the accident could not be established.

On the morning of the accident, the aircraft had been flown from its maintenance base to White Waltham, in order that some associates of one of its owners could be taken on some short local flights. The accident happened on the second of these flights. As is customary in the Tiger Moth, the passenger was in the front seat and the pilot in the rear. Both were wearing glass-fibre flying helmets with intercom microphones and headphones,enabling them to speak to each other and to communicate with Air Traffic Control.

The aircraft was observed to start up, taxi normally and take off without incident. It then flew west to the River Thames and over Henley-on-Thames, before adopting a north-easterly track. Witnesses described seeing the aircraft on this track, and hearing the sound of the engine reduce markedly, after which the aircraft entered a steepening turn to the right. The aircraft was observed descending rapidly in a tight u2018spiral' before hitting the ground in a field just south of the village of Remenham. The field was large and unobstructed, with a slight slope and a surface mostly of rough pasture. The description of the descent and subsequent examination of the wreckage showed that the aircraft struck the ground in a spin to the right.

Members of the public were soon at the crash site and the emergency services were called. The pilot was conscious and lucid; the passenger was alive but unconscious; both had extensive injuries. An air ambulance helicopter from White Waltham and a police helicopter, which was also equipped as an air ambulance, both landed at the accident site. Paramedics treated the pilot and passenger at the scene, and the two helicopters took them to local hospitals. The pilot was able to communicate clearly during his treatment and transfer to hospital. The paramedic asked him questions about the flight and the accident, but he had no recollection of it. Both the pilot and passenger died of their injuries in hospital".

Remenham is a village and civil parish on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames opposite Henley-on-Thames in southern England. It is particularly well known for the steep approach, known as Remenham Hill or White Hill (due to the chalky nature of the land), into Henley-on-Thames.

Nature of Damage to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a result, the registration G-ACDJ was cancelled by the CAA on 30.1.2006 as "Permanently withdrawn from use".

However, like many Tiger Moths, G-ACDJ eventually got up and "lived again". Remains sold ex-AAIB Farnborough to Scotland by insurers [by 11.2006]; for rebuild [by 1.2007] by Ronald H “Gerry” Cooper & Samantha J Cooper, Stow, Lincolnshire. Re-registered (C of R G-ACDJ/R11) on 2.1.2013 to Ronald Henry Cooper & Jennifer Ann Cooper, Wickenby (still on active rebuild 1.2021). Currently registered and under rebuild.

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/542303d5e5274a1314000bbd/DH82A_Tiger_Moth__G-ACDJ_07-06.pdf
2. CAA History of G-ACDJ 1933-40, 1953-65: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ACDJ-1.pdf
3. CAA History of G-ACDJ 1965-73: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ACDJ-2.pdf
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/berkshire/4162862.stm
5. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/48157-fatal-crash-tiger-moth-g-acdj
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p031.html
8. https://www.iaopa.eu/mediaServlet/storage/gamag/apr06/profile_Delta.pdf
9. https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=82582
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remenham

de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth (UK registration G-ACDJ, year of build 1933) at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in May 2005

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Jan-2008 22:13	JINX	Added
13-Aug-2008 19:35	JINX	Updated
13-Aug-2008 19:37	JINX	Updated
02-Nov-2008 12:06	harro	Updated
25-Apr-2012 18:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
05-Dec-2014 01:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
16-Aug-2016 20:44	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
16-Aug-2016 20:47	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source]
16-Aug-2016 20:54	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
02-Feb-2022 18:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]
02-Feb-2022 18:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
02-Feb-2022 18:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]