Date:	Sunday 28 October 1984
Time:	14:20
Type:	de Havilland DH-82a Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Royal Aero Club of Western Australia
Registration:	VH-FAS
MSN:	DHA.34
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Jandakot Airport, Perth, WA -   Australia
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Jandakot Airport, Perth, WA (YPJT)
Destination airport:	Jandakot Airport, Perth, WA (YPJT)
Investigating agency:	BASI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH-82a Tiger Moth MSN DHA.34 (Gipsy Major #86234); Built by DH Australia at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Taken on charge by the RAAF as A17-37 at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond 11.7.40. To 5 EFTS Narromine 18.7.40. Fitted 5.41 with Gipsy Major #86225. To Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow 16.3.42 for overhaul; to 2 AD 2.10.42. To 1 AOS 26.10.42; issued to 11 EFTS Benalla 1.12.42; to storage reserve 7.5.45. To Care & Maintenance Unit Benalla 1.3.46; for disposal 7.6.46.

Struck off charge when sold 2.6.47 to A B Sullivan, Sunshine, Victoria for £75; issued 25.7.47. Australian civil registered as VH-RJA (CofR 1361) 6.8.47 to Ronald J Annetts & C W Stewart, Melbourne; operated by Hire or Fly Yourself & Air Services (Pty) Ltd. Damaged when struck boundary light on landing Essendon, Melbourne 26.1.49; repaired. Registered 16.8.49 to Thomas J Kirkman, Melbourne.

Re-registered as VH-FAS 2.12.49 to Eric T Furness (Furness Aviation Service), Parafield. Re-registered 9.10.53 to Rural Aviation Co Ltd, Parafield. SA. Re-registered in March 1959 to Super Spread Aviation (Pty) Ltd, Cheltenham, Victoria (aircraft based at Moorabbin. Melbourne). Re-registered 4.7.62 to William J & John Brown, t/a Brown Williams Aviation, Parkes, NSW. Registration VH-FAS cancelled 8.8.65. Re-registered (C of R 5533) 6.5.66 to Parkes Aero Club, Parkes, NSW. Registration cancelled 5.5.67.

Re-registered (C of R 6949) 7.1.69 to Lloyd F Parsons, Coonamble, NSW. Re-registered 22.9.69 to Austerserve (Pty) Ltd, Bankstown. Re-registered 19.8.70 to Francis D O'Sullivan, West Perth, WA. Re-registered 6.3.74 to O'Sullivans General Agency Co Pty Ltd, Perth, WA. Registration cancelled 25.8.75. Sold (in January 1978) and re-registered 11.12.78 to Royal Aero Club of WA Inc, Jandakot, WA; reflown 9.12.78. Painted as "A17-037" (by 1985); later as A17-37 (incorrect former RAAF serial corrected)

Substanitally damaged when crashed at Jandakot Airport, Jandakot, WA 28.10.84. According to the following summary from the ATSB Report into the accident (see link #4):

"After flying in the local area for a time, the pilot entered a long straight-in final approach for the easterly strip he had used for take-off. From a distance he observed that the wind was a light southerly. Following a slight bounce on touchdown, braking was initiated but the aircraft seemed to be travelling faster than normal. The pilot, believing that he had landed with a tail-wind, turned the aircraft to the north-east to increase the landing roll available. The aircraft overran the area into a fence and firebreak.

The approach speed used was 12 knots faster than that recommended in the landing chart. The bounced landing, slippery grass surface and use of other than maximum braking increased the stopping distance required. The direction of turn chosen by the pilot to increase his stopping distance was downhill and with a tailwind component. The presence of telephone lines at the end of the strip precluded a go-around".

Repaired and returned to service. Substantially damaged due to Engine failure, and crashed into the Swan River near Fremantle, while avoiding power lines, 21 km South West of Jandakot Airport 29.11.95. According to the summary of the ATSB report into that accident:

"The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules scenic flight. These flights were done on a regular basis by the operator and the pilot had flown the DH-82 type on many of these. Commonly, the route flown was from Jandakot to the Fremantle area, north to about Mullaloo Point, then Observation City, Perth City and back to Jandakot. The pilot occupied the rear cockpit seat and the passenger the front cockpit seat.

Shortly after passing the Fremantle Golf Course, at an altitude of 1,000 ft, the engine misfired and commenced to vibrate badly. The pilot transmitted a Mayday call to the Perth Radar Advisory Service (RAS). At this stage the indicated altitude was 900 feet.

The pilot told the RAS controller that he had a partial power failure and said he was going to put the aircraft down in an area near Leeuwin Barracks, on the bank of the Swan River. The pilot was aware of the general details and location of the selected area. He tracked for a left base, while losing altitude, intending to land towards the west.

The aircraft was half way through the turn onto final, at a height of about 300 feet and with everything proceeding as planned, when the pilot suddenly saw a set of high-voltage power lines across his track. A large transmission-line tower for these lines was also now directly in front of him.

The pilot decided to complete a 270-300 degree right turn over the water to avoid the tower and pass under the wires, and still land in the selected area. It was a tight, gliding turn and when passing through a heading of about east, at a height of about 150 feet, the aircraft stalled and started to spiral right. The pilot applied left rudder but was unable to prevent the aircraft from diving into the river at a steep angle. After impact, the aircraft floated vertically with the tail out of the water and both cockpits under water. The pilot found himself out of his cockpit swimming on the surface but the passenger was still in the front cockpit.

Shortly afterwards, assistance arrived and the passenger was released from his seat by a water-police diver. Both pilot and passenger were then conveyed to hospital".

Registration VH-FAS cancelled 22.12.95. Salvaged and recovered to Jandakot for rebuild. Registered 26.11.98 to same owner, after rebuild completed. Re-registered 9.3.2011 to Griffin Aviation Pty Ltd (Griffin Aviation Trust), Thornlie, WA. Currently registered and airworthy in Australia.

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. ATSB Summary of the accident on 28.10.84: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1984/aair/aair198404510/
5. ATSB Full Report of the accident on 28.10.84: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/27476/aair198404510.pdf
6. ATSB Full Report of the accident on 29.11.95: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4933437/199504047.pdf
7. Tiger Moth VH-FAS at Jankadot, WA (YPJT) 24.1.2020: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/208141/VH-FAS/A17-37
8. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000992719.html
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jandakot_Airport

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

31 January 1987	VH-FAS	Royal Aero Club of Western Australia	0	near Casuarina, WA		sub
Collision with pole or wires
28 June 1993	VH-RJA	Royal Aero Club of Western Australia	0	Meldale Airstrip near Caboolture, QLD		sub
Collision with pole or wires
29 November 1995	VH-FAS	Royal Aero Club of Western Australia	0	Swan River, near Leeuwin Barracks, East Fremantle, WA		sub
Collision with pole or wires

Tiger Moth VH-FAS being prepared for a crop dusting sortie, near Moura, Queensland,1954:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Jul-2018 13:00	Pineapple	Added
09-Jan-2022 01:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Embed code]
12-Jan-2022 20:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]
12-Jan-2022 20:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code, Narrative]
12-Jan-2022 20:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
17-Jan-2022 01:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Embed code]]
07-Jun-2022 21:37	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]