Date:	Wednesday 20 August 1997
Time:	18:31 UTC
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	David Henry Rees Jenkins
Registration:	G-AOBJ
MSN:	85830
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Cardiff Airport, Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Cardiff Airport (CWL/EGFF)
Destination airport:	Cardiff Airport (CWL/EGFF)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 85830; Taken on charge as DE970. nominally at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire 15.1.43. However, placed in long-term storage in ‘purgatory’ in the Oxfordshire area; returned to Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford for erection [undated, but probably September 1945]. To 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minichinhampton, Gloucestershire 29.9.45. To 47 MU RAF Sealand, Flintshire 6.3.46. To 8 MU RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 1.5.47. To 11 RFS RAF Perth/Scone, Perthshire 8.7.48, coded “RCR-E”. To RAF Church Fenton Station Flight, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire 21.3.51. To 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Stafordshire 11.3.54 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge as Cat.5(c) when sold as parts 28.9.54 to W A Rollason Ltd, Croydon. Intead, civil registered as G-AOBJ (C of R R5046/1) 9.7.55 to WA Rollason Ltd, Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. C of A issued 12.8.55. Registratrion G-AOBJ cancelled 12.8.55 as 'sold to Germany - D-EBIG'. Re-registered in West Germany as D-EBIG [allotted 26.7.55] 21.9.55 to Aero Club Gelnhausen eV, Gelnhausen; named "Rumpelstilzchen". (Regd with c/no. E-16). Badly damaged in collision with Piper J/3 Cub D-EGIS on take-off Gelnhausen 18.5.59; repaired and returned to service.

Sold by Club to Robert B McElhose and German registration cancelled 13.8.70 as 'sold to USA'. Delivered ex Gelnhausen 22.9.70. Registered in USA as N10RM (application dated 28.7.70) on 15.9.70 to Robert B McElhose, The Dalles, Oregon (later Redondo Beach, California 5.71). CofA issued 3.9.71. Sold 10.5.74 and re-registered 23.5.74 to Robert J McLinden, Paramount, California (later State College, PA from 4.75).

Sold [in semi-restored condition] 1989 to Ian Grace/Chilbolton Aviation, UK for David Jenkins. US Registration N10RM cancelled 15.6.90 as sold in UK. Registration G-AOBJ restored (C of R G-AOBJ/R2) on 18.6.90 to Ian Bruce Grace, Shedfield, Southampton (aircraft based at Chilbolton). Re-registered (C of R G-AOBJ/R3) 9.12.91 to David Henry Rees Jenkins, Cardiff, South Glamorgan. C of A renewed 8.5.92; painted as RAF colours as 'DE470'. Stalled after turning cross-wind and crashed following take-off Cardiff Airport 20.8.97. According to the AAIB report into the accident:

"The pilots of two Tiger Moth aircraft, G-ANFI and G-AOBJ, planned to carry out air-to-air photography with the photographer in 'FI'. The pilot of 'FI' made the radio calls for both aircraft and they entered Runway 30 at taxiway 'H'. They were cleared to take-off at 18:29 hours. 'FI' took off first, followed after a few seconds by 'BJ'. The pilot of 'FI' turned right onto the downwind leg;when he last saw 'BJ' flying it was climbing on the runway heading at about 150 feet agl.

The ATC controller saw 'BJ' start to turn crosswind but his attention was momentarily drawn to an aircraft on final approach. When he looked back, 'BJ' was descending in a nose down attitude, banked to the right. It then disappeared behind a hangar to the northwest of the Control Tower, only to reappear seconds later climbing in a steep nose up attitude, tracking crosswind. It was reported to be "twisting and yawing" as it turned to the left and then descended into a field just outside the airfield perimeter. Aircraft accident action was initiated at 18:31 hours and the Airport Fire Service (AFS) was on scene at 18:32 hours.

Both occupants were seriously injured in the impact; the pilot had managed to escape from the wreckage, but the passenger was trapped in the front seat and had to be cut free by the AFS. The pilot of 'FI' landed and went to the accident site. The pilot of 'BJ', who was conscious and a few feet from the wreckage, told him that he had been unable to move the ailerons to the left due to a restriction. Both casualties received first aid treatment, and, at 18:55 hours, were transferred to hospital by ambulance.

The passenger was a qualified pilot. An injury to his left ankle was of the type that is associated with the application of left rudder at impact. He also suffered head injuries and was unable to recall any detail of the flight. The pilot subsequently died of his injuries on 20 November 1997, three months after the accident"

The AAIB report confirms that the Tiger Moth was "destroyed". Although the registration G-AOBJ was cancelled by the CAA on 23.11.98 as "Addressee Status: Deceased". Re-registered (G-AOBJ/R4) 1.6.2009 to Andrew David Hodgkinson, Luton, later Doddington, March, Cambridgeshire. Currently registered; status uncertain.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1987 p,18)
2. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AOBJ.pdf
3. AAIB Report [AAIB Bulletin No: 6/98 Ref: EW/C97/8/9Category: 1.3]: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ee87ed915d13710001f9/dft_avsafety_pdf_501381.pdf
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p858.html
6. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N10RM
7. Tiger Moth G-AOBJ at Bodmin, Cornwall (EGLA) 27.6.93: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/365534/G-AOBJ/DE970
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Sep-2008 12:18	JINX	Added
20-Apr-2012 11:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
05-Apr-2015 21:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Jan-2022 21:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, Category]