Date:	Sunday 25 January 1948
Time:	morning
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Aero Club of Southern Tasmania
Registration:	VH-AQG
MSN:	3690
Engine model:	de Havilland Gipsy Major
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bull Bay, 2 miles off Bruny Island, TAS -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Cambridge Airport, Cambridge, Hobart, Tasmania (YCBG)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On 25 January 1948, the wing of de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-AQG clipped the mast of 'The Wrest', a vessel sitting on Bull Bay, Bruny Island, TAS while flying low above it. Two individuals aboard managed to escape the aircraft as it subsequently sank over the bay. It was later raised and recovered, but was declared a total loss. As reported in a contemporary local newspaper (The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) Monday 26 Jan 1948 Page 1):

TWO MEN ESCAPE INJURY WHEN PLANE CRASHES INTO SEA:
TWO men in a Tiger Moth aircraft escaped uninjured when the plane crashed into the sea after hitting the mast of a motor launch in Bull Bay, about two miles off Bruny Island, yesterday morning. The parents of one of the men was aboard the launch.

THE men are Douglas Lloyd Lewis of Electrona, who was the pilot, and William Alfred Lewis, Flemington Hotel, Argyle St., Hobart, passenger. The plane, which belonged to the Aero Club of Southern Tasmania, was wrecked.

The mast of the launch "The Wrest" was sheared off, but no one on the vessel was injured. The port wing hit the mast and the plane swung round and pancaked on to the water. The pilot and passenger walked along the fuselage to the tail and boarded the launch, which was brought alongside. Their clothing was only slightly wet.

While partially submerged, the plane was towed towards the shore. It sank in 30ft. of water, and later was dragged on to the beach by tractor.

The pilot and passenger suffered shock. William Lewis, who broke his right arm recently, had the limb in plaster at the time of the crash.

Mrs A. G. Kean, of Bull Bay, said she saw the plane circling at a low altitude over the bay. At times it almost touched the tops of trees on the shore. It crashed into the sea with a loud explosion. Miss E. Churchill said residents heard the explosion more than a mile away.

The chief instructor of the Aero Club (Mr L. Jones) said last night that the Civil Aviation Department would conduct an inquiry into the crash. He said the loss of the aircraft was a severe blow to the club, as replacement of the plane would cost about £400. It was the club's best machine. Efforts would be made today to salvage the engine before corrosion set in. He said the club would be handicapped because it now had only two serviceable machines. All three machines had been in Constant use.

The police boat, Aralla, with Sgt Langford in charge, was sent from Hobart to Bull Bay. It was in radio communication by frequency modulation with headquarters at Hobart".

Registration VH-AQG was cancelled on May 11, 1948.

1. The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) Monday 26 Jan 1948 Page 1 TWO MEN ESCAPE INJURY WHEN PLANE CRASHES INTO SEA: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26446591
2. The West Australian (Perth, WA) Monday 26 January 1948 Page 5 LAUNCH TO RESCUE OF PLANE: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46885974
3. Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW) Monday 26 January 1948 Page 3 Plane Falls into Sea: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48502704
4. Gisborne Herald (Gisborne, New Zealand) Volume LXXV, Issue 22545, 27 January 1948, Page 5: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GISH19480127.2.69
5. The Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) Thursday 29 January 1948 Page 3 Plane Inspection: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/52625834
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17c.htm
8. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/8876:vh-aaj-1
9. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/10417:vh-aqg-1
10. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-A.html
11. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p036.html
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Aerodrome
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruny_Island
..

c/no. 3690: (Gipsy Major #80455). C of A 6294 issued to DeHavilland Australia 27.5.38. Registered as VH-AAJ (C of R 714) 14.9.38 to Royal Aero Club of NSW, Mascot, Sydney, NSW.

Impressed into RAAF as A17-689 19.8.40 by 4 EFTS Mascot, Sydney, NSW. To DeHavilland Australia at Mascot, Sydney 26.2.41 for reconditioning & mods; upon completion, to 2 Aircraft Depot RAAF Richmond 6.9.41. To 2 EFTS RAAF Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland 11.10.41. To 11 EFTS RAAF Benalla 20.4.42. To 7 EFTS RAAF Western Junction 12.5.42; transferred to CMU 1.6.45 for storage pending disposal; put up for sale 6.12.45.

Struck off charge when sold 18.2.46 for £500 to Tasmanian Aero Club; issued 5.3.46. Registered as VH-AQG (C of R 913) 3.4.46 to Tasmanian Aero Club, Western Junction. Re-registered 3.4.46 to Aero Club of Southern Tasmania, Cambridge.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Oct-2023 17:18	hmmptwizzle	Added
13-Oct-2023 10:04	hmmptwizzle	Updated
28-Mar-2025 13:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
30-Mar-2025 20:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ]
30-Mar-2025 22:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, ]
31-Mar-2025 23:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
02-Jun-2025 15:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source, ]