Date:	Tuesday 7 November 1950
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	HMS Siskin/RNAS Gosport SF FAA RN
Registration:	BB865
MSN:	3490
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	High Park Road, Elmfield, Ryde, Isle of Wight -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Siskin/RNAS Gosport, Hampshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
First registered [C of R 6726] on 21.2.36 as G-AECI to Reid & Sigrist Ltd., New Malden, Surrey (aircraft based at Desford, Leicestershire). One of a batch of four Tiger Moths (G-AECG to G-AECJ) all registered to Reid & Sigrist on this date. C of A 5334 issued 23.3.36. Operated by 7 E&RFTS, RAF Desford, Leicestershire. Unit renamed 7 EFTS upon outbreak of war on 3.9.39.

Civil registration G-AECI was cancelled with effect from 3.1.41, when impressed into military service as BB865. Aircraft remained with 7 EFTS until Crashed on landing at RAF Desford, Leicestershire 7.10.42; to Lundy & Atlantic Coast for repairs 15.10.42; to 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 8.11.42 upon completion of repairs.

Transferred to Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 24.7.43. To HMS Condor/RNAS Arbroath Station Flight 7.9.43. To HMS Vulture/RNAS St. Merryn Station Flight [by 1945]. To 727 Squadron, HMS Siskin/RNAS Gosport later in 1945; coded "GP2M"; later “215/GJ”. To RN Scientific Service Glider Group, HMS Siskin/RNAS Gosport in 1950. To HMS Hornbill/RNAS Culham, Culham, Oxfordshire 15.7.50. To HMS Heron/RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester, Somerset. To HMS Siskin/RNAS Gosport Station Flight 1.10.50; coded “501/GJ”

Written off (destroyed) 7.11.50 when dived into ground during aerobatics at High Park Road, Elmfield, Ryde, Isle of Wight, killing both of the two crew. Witnesses reported that the engine was "popping" before the aircraft stalled and dived into the ground. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Portsmouth Evening News" Wednesday 8 November 1950):

"Wed Fortnight - Killed In Ryde Air Crash.
One of the two occupants killed when a Naval Tiger Moth plane crashed in High Park Road, Elmfield, Ryde, yesterday afternoon, was married only a fortnight ago. He was Lieutenant Edward John Kiernan (aged 26), of the Royal Naval Air Station, Gosport, and living at a flat at 4, Bramley Mansions, Crescent Road, Alverstoke. A Reserve pilot, he had been called up two months ago. The other man killed was Brian Roach, a technical representative attached to the Royal Naval Air Station. His home address was 228, Grand Drive, Raynes Park. He was also married.

Sheared Tree.
The plane did not damage any buildings. It crashed on a strip of waste land, 30 yards wide, missing a house by a matter of feet. As it came down, the machine struck some telephone wires, took the top off a tree, and after hitting a strut of a telephone pole, crashed into a grass bank. The house which had a lucky escaped was Kyles, occupied by Mrs Brodie Smith. The house was unoccupied at the time, Mrs Smith having gone out to tea."

Formally Struck Off Charge as Cat. ZZ on 14.11.50. The reported crash location was onto a road in Elmfield, which is a suburb of the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight, in England. It is situated south-east of the town centre on a small hill at approximate coordinates 50°43′12″N, 1°8′56.4″W

1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant. Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004
2. Portsmouth Evening News, Wednesday 8 November 1950):
3. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes?view=article&id=79:register-gb-g-ae&catid=15:aeroplanes
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AECI.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A8.html
6. http://wight.hampshireairfields.co.uk/iowc.html
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p034.html
8. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=9065.0;wap2
9. http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1950.htm
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmfield

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jan-2018 19:03	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Jan-2018 19:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Jan-2018 19:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
25-Nov-2018 17:03	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
05-Nov-2019 10:10	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]
04-Jan-2021 22:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
10-Jan-2021 18:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
17-Jun-2021 21:20	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]
30-Sep-2021 22:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
30-Sep-2021 22:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
30-Sep-2021 22:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-Sep-2021 22:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-Sep-2021 22:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-Sep-2021 22:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
05-Oct-2021 17:54	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Source, Operator]