Date:	Sunday 7 December 1958
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Schutt Airfarmers Pty Ltd
Registration:	VH-CHS
MSN:	DHA.260
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Moyhu, near Wangaratta, Victoria -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Wangaratta, Victoria
Destination airport:	Moyhu, near Wangaratta, Victoria

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-CHS, Schutt Airfarmers Pty Ltd, Moorabbin, Melbourne, Victoria: Written off (damaged beyond economical repair) 7.12.58 when crashed during agricultural operations (crop dusting/top dressing) at Moyhu, Victoria. Pilot Keith Judd severely injured, and died later in hospital of injuries sustained.

As reported at the time in a contemporary local newspaper (The Canberra Times (Canberra, ACT) Monday 8 Dec 1958 Page 1:

"Crop Dusting Plane Crashes In Victoria
MELBOURNE, Sunday. —
A pilot of a Tiger Moth aircraft was seriously injured when his crop dusting plane crashed into some trees at Moyhu, in north-eastern Victoria early to-day. The man, Keith Judd, 30, of Warragul Road, Cheltenham, was admitted to Wangaratta Base Hospital with severe head injuries. The Tiger Moth was owned by Schutt Air Farmers Pty. Ltd., of Cheltenham.

Police were told Judd was crop dusting on the property of H. J. McDonald, of Moyhu, when the plane struck tree tops and crashed on the property of P. McCormack.

Police maintained a guard of the wreckage until civil aviation officials arrived from Melbourne".

According to the summary of the DCA Accident report (see link #3):

"The aircraft struck a tree whilst turning at low level between spray runs". Being engaged on agricultural operation, VH-CHS had crashed several times before; this incident was the fifth (and final) time VH-CHS had crashed. It had crashed on four previous occasions:

11.09.1942: As A17-241 of 10 EFTS RAAF crashed at Temora, NSW (1st crash)
08.02.1955: As VH-CHS of McKenzine Flying School, crashed into power lines during forced landing at Northcote Football Oval, Northcote, Victoria (2nd crash).
13.10.1956: As VH-CHS of Schutt Airfarmers Pty, crashed while crop spraying at Rupanyup, Victoria (3rd crash)
06.11.1957: As VH-CHS of Schutt Airfarmers Pty, crashed while crop spraying at Moyhu, Victoria (4th crash)
07.12.1958: As VH-CHS of Schutt Airfarmers Pty, crashed into a tree while crop spraying at Moyhu, Victoria as per the above (5th and final crash)

Registration VH-CHS formally cancelled 2.9.60 as "destroyed"

Moyhu is a town in the Rural City of Wangaratta Local Government Area, Victoria, Australia. It is situated in the fertile King Valley, near the King River, which flows from the Victorian Alps and joins the Ovens River in Wangaratta. The town is about 2.5 hours drive from Melbourne, and 25 minutes from Wangaratta, and is part of the Rural City of Wangaratta.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Mon 8 Dec 1958 Page 1 Crop Dusting Plane Crashes In Victoria: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103062186
3. https://airwaysmuseum.com/Downloads/DCA%20accident%20reports%201956%20to%201968%20v2.pdf
4. https://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-CHS.html
5. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/13696:vh-chs-1
6. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus2.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moyhu,_Victoria

c/no. DHA.257: Taken on charge as A17-241 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 3.2.41. To 4 EFTS Mascot, Sydney, NSW 24.2.41. To 10 EFTS RAAF Temora, NSW 20.4.42. Crashed on landing Temora 11.9.42; to De Havilland Australia at Mascot, Sydney, NSW 21.9.42 for repairs. Upon completion to 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 18.11.42. To 1 AOS Cootamundra 23.11.42. To 11 EFTS RAAF Benalla, Victoria 1.12.42; withdrawn from service to storage reserve 7.5.45. Transferred to Care & Maintenance Unit at RAAF Benalla Victoria 1.3.46 for long-term storage pending disposal. Put up for sale 7.6.46.

Struck off charge when sold 2.6.47 for £60 to P Burke, Coburg, Victoria; issued to him 25.7.47. Registered as VH-CHS (C of R 1432) 23.12.47 to Charles H Seears, East St Kilda, Victoria. Re-registered 31.5.48 to J W McKean, Heidelberg West, Victoria. Re-registered 17.8.53 to Mrs Gertrude J McKenzie, t/a McKenzie Flying School, Mordialloc, Victoria. Crashed into power lines during forced landing and w/off Northcote Football Oval, Northcote, Victoria 8.2.55. Re-registered 16.3.55 to Schutt Aircraft Sales & Service, Moorabbin and repaired. Re-registered 21.9.55 to Schutt Aircraft Pty Ltd, Moorabbin, Melbourne, Victoria. Re-registered 22.6.56 to Schutt Airfarmers Pty Ltd, Moorabbin, Melbourne, Victoria. Damaged when crashed crop spraying at Rupanyup, Victoria 13.10.56; repaired. Damaged in crash crop spraying at Moyhu, Victoria 6.11.57; repaired.

Written off (for the 5th and final time!) when crashed into trees while crop-dusting at Moyhu, Victoria 7.12.58; pilot killed. Registration VH-CHS cancelled 2.9.60.

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


8 February 1955

VH-CHS

Mrs Gertrude J McKenzie, t/a McKenzie Flying School

0

Northcote Football Oval, McDonnell Park, Northcote, Victoria

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Apr-2025 05:54	Dr. John Smith	Added