Date:	Sunday 18 May 1952
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Air Contracts Ltd
Registration:	ZK-AUE
MSN:	82946
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Oporae, Hawke's Bay -   New Zealand
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Dannevirke, Manawatū-Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth MSN 82946; Fuselage built at Hatfield and shipped to New Zealand. To DH New Zealand unassembled & without engine. Remainder of aircraft constructed at Rongotai from local materials as MSN DHNZ.15 and taken on charge by the RNZAF as NZ765 at Rongotai 19.9.40. To 1 EFTS, Taieri 11.40-1.43. To 2 EFTS Ashburton [late 1943]. To Taieri for storage pending disposal [1945]

Struck off charge when sold as free issue on 15.3.48 to Wellington Aero Club. Registered as ZK-AUE 16.5.50 to Air Contracts Ltd, Masterton; fleet no.7. C of A issued 25.9.50. Badly damaged when hit hill at Oporae, near Dannevirke, Manawatū-Whanganui, Hawkes Bay 18.5.52 during aerial spraying/topdressing operations.

The overloaded aircraft mushed into a hillside. The pilot, John (Johan) George Eftimopol, from Romania, suffered a fractured spine in the crash and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. "Johnny" Eftimopol died in Australia in 1986, aged 71 years).

Dannevirke, is a rural service town in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is the major town of the administrative of the Tararua District, the easternmost of the districts of which the Horizons Regional Council has responsibilities.

Tiger Moth ZK-AUE also survived to be rebuilt and returned to service. Regd 4.9.53 to Mrs L Allardice; operated by Aerodress Ltd, Dannevirke. Badly damaged on take-off Ashley Clinton, Dannevirke 27.11.54; repaired and returned to service. Re-registered 4.12.56 to Aerodress Ltd, Dannevirke; named "The Back Breaker" (a reference to the accident of 18.5.52...).

Crashed on inadvertent take-off Akitio, Dannevirke 28.3.57, when a farmer, who was not a pilot, attempted to taxi the aircraft and unintentionally became airborne. Registration ZK-AUE cancelled 10.9.57.

Stored in "Scout den" near Palmerston North until recovered in 1975. Re-registered 3.6.85 to B.R. Lynch, Auckland and rebuilt. Re-registered 9.4.2002 to Martinus Victor “Peter” Ryan, Waharoa (based on strip near Matamata [in 4.2014]).

This Tiger Moth is currently airworthy in New Zealand.

1. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzdh82.htm
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pNZ0.html
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p829.html
5. https://rnzaf.proboards.com/post/118640
6. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKARZ.htm
7. Tiger Rag: Newsletter of the Tiger Moth Club of New Zeland February 2019 -
https://www.tigermothclub.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Tiger-Rag-February-2019.pdf
8. http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/tigerlist.html
9. ZK-AUE at Raglan Aerodrome Airport, Raglan New Zealand 11.10.2017: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000132268.html
10. ZK-AUE [various photos 1962 & 12.4.2014]: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/ZK-AUE
11. ZK-AUE at Hastings, NZ in 1952: http://edcoatescollection.com/ac2/NZZZ/ZK-AUE.html
12. ZK-AUE at Hood Aerdrome, Masterton in 1951 (note 'Air Contracts' livery): https://masterton.spydus.co.nz/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/ARCENQ?SETLVL=&RNI=522322
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dannevirke

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Feb-2021 23:57	angels one five	Added
05-Oct-2021 18:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
05-Oct-2021 18:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
05-Oct-2021 22:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Source]]
21-Oct-2021 20:39	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
15-Jan-2022 10:07	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
27-Jan-2022 22:13	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type]