Date:	Sunday 8 March 1970
Time:	18:17
Type:	de Havilland DH-82a Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Royal Victorian Aero Club
Registration:	VH-RVI
MSN:	DHA.807
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne, VIC -   Australia
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Moorabbin Airport, Moorabbin, Victoria (YMMB)
Destination airport:	Moorabbin Airport, Moorabbin, Victoria (YMMB)
Investigating agency:	BASI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH-82a Tiger Moth MSN DHA.807' Built by DH Australia at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Built to UK Government order in 1942 for South African Air Force/Rhoedsian Air Ttraining Group as DX750 but not delivered & stored. Taken on charge by the RAAF as A17-657 24.11.43 & to DH Australia at Mascot, Sydney, NSW for assembly & mods (DHA No.036). To 2 Aircraft Park 17.3.44. To 8 EFTS Narrandera 24.3.44. To Care & Maintenance Unit Tamworth 2.1.45. To 2 Aircraft Depot Richmond 24.4.47 for storage. To DH Auatralina at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW 15.11.48 for overhaul; returned to 2 Aircraft Depot Richmond 12.4.50. To 1 Aircraft Depot, Laverton 30.3.51. To 3 Aircraft Depot, Amberley, Queensland 5.12.51. To 1 ITS Archerfield 4.1.52; transferred to 1 IFTS 26.5.52. To 1 BFTS Uranquinty 3.2.55. To 1 Aircraft Depot (Detachment B) Tocumwal 28.3.56 for storage; put up for sale 28.8.56.

Struck off charge when sold 21.8.57. Registered as VH-RVI "The Second"** (C of R 2393) 1.8.58 to Royal Victorian Aero Club, Moorabbin Airport, Moorabbin, Victoria. Damaged when overturned on take-off at Moorabbin Airport, Moorabbin, Victoria 8.3.70; according to the ATSB report into the accident...

"The aircraft departed Moorabbin with the pilot undergoing training handling the controls in the rear cockpit and then carried out a period of air work in the training area. On completion of this exercise and still under the control of the pilot under training, the aircraft returned, joined the circuit and made an approach to runway 17 grass for a touch-and-go landing. After landing and when the aircraft had almost stopped, power was applied for another take-off. The aircraft accelerated normally and reached the flying attitude but, as it neared flying speed, it did not become airborne but instead nosed down.

The pilot in command in the front cockpit attempted to correct the attitude with the elevators, but this was unsuccessful and the propeller struck the ground. He closed the throttle and the aircraft continued to pitch nose down until it stood up on its nose. It then fell over to the starboard upper main plane tip and rocked back until it came to rest on the main wheels and the nose. There was no fire".

Repaired and returned to service. Registered 6.8.70 to George Huse, Nar Nar Goon, Victoria. Registered 18.5.73 to Warwick M Woinarski, Tullamarine, Victoria. Crashed into fence on take-off Hardies Hill, near Ballarat, Victoria 13.6.73; not repaired, withdrawn from use and registration VH-RVI cancelled 11.7.73.

Registration VH-RVI restored 19.1.76 to L K Hatfield, Park Orchards, Victoria. Registered 20.5.76 to Prof. Jon Robert Westell Robinson, Alphington, Victoria (based Casey Field, Berwick, Victora); painted as A17-657 (1978); based/stored on a farm strip North of Wangaratta [by 2014 - Casey Field closed by 1996]. Currently registered.

**NOTE: This Tiger Moth is VH-RVI "the second". The first Tiger Moth to be registered VH-RVI was MSN DHA.134 (ex-VH-ASC, VH-BOF and A17-137) which was wrecked when it crashed and destroyed by fire while cropdusting near Buchan, Victoria 22.1.57; registration cancelled 25.3.57.

1. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17c.htm
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus8.html
4. ATSB Summary of the accident: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1970/aair/aair197002563/
5. ATSB Full Report of the accident: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24655/197002563.pdf
6. Tiger-Moth-A17-657/VH RVI at RVAC Moorabbin May 1956: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/picture.php?/VH_RVI_at_RVAC_Moorabbin_May_1956_looking_NW/category/dh82a-tiger-moth-a17-657
7. Tiger Moth VH-RVI at Horsham Victoria in March 1965: https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=10416
8. Tiger Moth VH-RVI various photos 5/1957 to 8.3.2016: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/VH-RVI?f=&sort=date_taken_formatted&order=asc
9. Tiger Moth VH-RVI, Wangaratta Airport Victoria (YWGT) 19/4/1987: https://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/7342993-14225489bce397f2012aed2302f53d8a91dd56c4
10. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/31773-vh-rvi-2
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorabbin_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jul-2018 05:22	Pineapple	Added
03-Jan-2022 22:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
03-Jan-2022 22:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
10-Jun-2022 02:46	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]