Date:	Friday 5 January 1951
Time:	afternoon
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Alan W Davies
Registration:	VH-ATX
MSN:	DHA.322
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Private Airstrip, Moe, Latrobe Valley, Gippsland, Victoria -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Moe, Latrobe Valley, Gippsland, Victoria
Destination airport:

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-ATX, Alan W Davies, Moe, Victoria; Written off (damaged beyond repair) 5.1.51 in a takeoff accident from a private airstrip at Moe, Latrobe Valley, Gippsland, Victoria. The aircraft crashed into trees, and the pilot/owner (Alan W Davis) survived with only minor injuries.

As reported at the time in a contemporary local newspaper (The Age (Melbourne, Vic.) Saturday 6 January 1951 Page 3):

"PILOT WALKS AWAY FROM PLANE CRASH
Allan William Davies, of Moe, had a narrow escape from injury when a Tiger Moth plane he was piloting crashed, into trees at Moe and was wrecked yesterday afternoon. Mr. Davies was taking off from a private air strip at Moe. His machine became airborne, but failed to gain altitude.

It crashed into the tops of trees at the end of the strip and was wrecked. Mr. Davies received only minor injuries, and was able to walk away from the wreckage. He went Into Moe and reported the crash to the police.

MISSED WIRES
Mr. Davies managed to avoid high tension electrical wires shortly after the take-off, but crashed Into tree tops about 70 feet from the ground. A wing was ripped from the machine, which continued on for about 150 yards before crashing to the ground.

Mr. Davies was thrown against the windscreen of the cockpit, but walked from the wreckage suffering nothing more than a bleeding nose".

Registration VH-ATX cancelled 17.4.51 as "withdrawn from use". Note that several sources list the date of the incident as Wednesday 3 January 1951, but the above newspaper report states "yesterday afternoon" - which implies Friday 5 January 1951

Moe is a town in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It is approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) east of the central business district of Melbourne

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. The Age (Melbourne, Vic.) Saturday 6 January 1951 Page 3: Pilot Walked Away from Plane Crash: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204964400
3. https://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa2/VH-ATX.html
4. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/10735:vh-atx-1
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17b.htm
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus3.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe,_Victoria

c/no. DHA.322: Taken on charge as A17-303 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 17.3.41. To CFS RAAF Camden, NSW 5.4.41. To 11 EFTS RAAF Benalla, Victoria 3.11.41. To 7 EFTS RAAF Western Junction, Launceston, Tasmania 12.5.42. Damaged in crash when struck roof of barn 3 miles West of Deloraine, Tasmania 12.11.43; repaired at Western Junction and serviceable 13.11.44. To Care & Maintenance Unit, RAAF Western Junction, Launceston, Tasmania 1.6.45 for long-term storage pending disposal; put up for sale 6.12.45.

Struck off charge when sold 31.5.46 for £105 to P J Pratt, Geelong, Victoria; issued to him 24.5.46. Registered as VH-ATX (C of R 1359) 28.7.47 to Percy J Pratt, Geelong, Victoria. Registration cancelled 17.12.47; registration restored 22.12.47 to same owner. Re-registered 1.1.49 to John L & Francis G Roche, South Yarra, Victoria. Re-registered 15.11.50 to Alan W Davis, Moe, Victoria.

Written off (destroyed) when crashed at Moe, Victoria 5.1.51 as per the above. Registration VH-ATX cancelled 17.4.51.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Apr-2025 08:48	Dr. John Smith	Added
29-Apr-2025 18:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]