Date:	Sunday 23 September 1962
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Aerial Cropdusters & Sprayers Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
Registration:	VH-BCE
MSN:	DHA.268
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	West Wyalong, Bland Shire, Northern Riverina, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	West Wyalong, Bland Shire, Northern Riverina, NSW
Destination airport:

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-BCE, Aerial Cropdusters & Sprayers Pty Ltd, Melbourne: Written off (damaged beyond economic repair) when crashed for (the 6th and final time) when struck overhead HT power wires and crashed at West Wyalong, Bland Shire, Northern Riverina, NSW 23.9.62. According to the summary from the DCA Report into the incident:

"At a late stage, the pilot attempted to pull up over a known power line. The undercarriage caught in the wires and the aircraft dived into the ground".

As noted below, this aircraft was involved in several crash incidents (6 in all) between 1941 and 1962:
13.08.41: As A17-249 of 5 EFTS RAAF, crashed (heavy landing) at RAAF Narromine, NSW (1st crash)
30.03.50: As VH-BCE, damaged when undershot on landing Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW (2nd crash)
14.10.50: As VH-BCE, damaged when Nosed over on landing Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW (3rd crash)
13.12.57: As VH-BCE, badly damaged when overturned by winds while parked out on the airfield at Benalla Airport, Victoria (4th crash)
04.05.59: As VH-BCE damaged when struck ridge while crop-dusting near Apollo Bay, Victoria (5th crash)
23.09.62: As VH-BCE written off when crashed while crop-dusting at West Wyalong, NSW (6th and final crash)

Registration VH-BCE cancelled 23.9.62 as "destroyed".

West Wyalong is the main town of the Bland Shire in the northern Riverina region of central New South Wales, Australia. Located 467 kilometres (290 miles) west of Sydney as well as being 262 metres (860 ft) above sea level, it is situated on the crossroads of the Newell Highway between Melbourne and Brisbane, and the Mid-Western Highway between Sydney and Adelaide

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. https://airwaysmuseum.com/Downloads/DCA%20accident%20reports%201956%20to%201968%20v2.pdf
3. https://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BCE.html
4. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/11431:vh-bce-1
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus2.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Wyalong

c/no. DHA.268: Taken on charge as A17-249 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 3.2.41. To 5 EFTS RAAF Narromine, NSW 9.3.41. Damaged in heavy landing RAAF Narromine, NSW 13.8.41. To Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow, NSW 23.8.41 for repairs. Upon completion, to 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 18.10.41. To 12 EFTS RAAF Lowood, Queensland 12.1.42. To 8 EFTS RAAF Narrandera 30.3.42. To De Havilland Australia at Mascot, Sydney, NSW 25.5.43 for overhaul. Upon completion, delivered to 2 Aircraft Park 19.7.43. To 10 EFTS RAAF Temora 24.7.43. Withdrawn from service to storage reserve 7.5.45. Transferred to Care & Maintenance Unit 12.3.46 for long-term storage pending disposal; put up for sale 7.6.46.

Struck off charge when sold 6.9.46 for £100 to Association of Australian Aero Clubs, Sydney, NSW; issued to them 21.9.46. Registered as VH-BCE (C of R 1332) 13.6.47 to The Truscott Club for Aeronauts, Junee Branch, Junee, NSW. Re-registered 9.10.49 to Kingsford Smith Aviation Service Pty Ltd, Mascot, Sydney, NSW. Damaged when undershot on landing Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW 30.3.50; repaired and returned to service.

Damaged when nosed over on landing at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW 14.10.50; repaired and returned to service. Re-registered 22.3.51 to George S Murray, Louth, NSW. Re-registered 16.4.53 to Alan A Halfpenny, Cobar, NSW. Re-registered 10.3.55 to Alan J Murray, Revesby, NSW. Re-registered 23.3.55 to Frederick J Lucas & Ross Day, Bathurst, NSW. Re-registered 26.6.56 to Air Training Pty Ltd, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Re-registered in 1957 to Aerial Cropdusters & Sprayers Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria. Badly damaged when overturned by winds when parked out in the open at Benalla Airport, Victoria 13.12.57; repaired and returned to service. Damaged when struck ridge crop dusting near Apollo Bay, Victoria 4.5.59. Registration VH-BCE cancelled 2.10.59 as "withdrawn from use". Registration VH-BCE restored 26.7.61 to same owners.

Written off (when crashed for the 6th and final time) when struck wires and crashed West Wyalong, NSW 23.9.62 as per the above. Registration VH-BCE cancelled 23.9.62.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Apr-2025 05:35	Dr. John Smith	Added