Date:	Sunday 8 April 1956
Time:	10:55 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Air-Griculture Control Pty Ltd
Registration:	VH-PCP
MSN:	82809
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Timor, Hunter Valley, 10 miles East of Blandford, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Timor, Hunter Valley, 10 miles East of Blandford, NSW
Destination airport:	Murrurundi, NSW

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-PCP, Air-Griculture Control Pty Ltd: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 8.4.56 when crashed into a hillside at Timor, Hunter Valley, 10 miles East of Blandford, NSW. Aircraft was involved in agricultural (crop spraying/top dressing) operations at the time. As reported in the ATSB Safety Digest (Issue 09 March 1957 p.26):

"Agricultural DH.82 Trapped in Valley at Timor, N.S.W
A DH-82 engaged in fertilised spreading operations crashed into a hillside whilst turning to fly out of a narrow valley which had been entered at a height that did not permit the aircraft to climb over the surrounding ridges. The pilot, the sole occupant, suffered facial injuries and the aircraft was extensively damaged.

The accident occurred at approximately 10.55 a.m. on 8th April, 1956, at Timor, located in the upper reaches of the Hunter River Valley, approximately ten miles east of Blandford, New South Wales. The area to be top dressed on this flight was a corner of a field which extended into a small valley formed by steep sided timber crowned ridges. The ridges converge, closing one end of the valley, and give rise to a gradual narrowing of its width and elevation of the floor.

In order to ensure that the fertiliser would be deposited within the boundaries of the property being treated, the pilot approached the area at a low height and below the level of the ridge crests keeping close to the right hand side of the valley.

Immediately after commencing to stream the load the pilot realized, he was heading into a position from which it would be difficult to extricate the aircraft so he operated the dump lever and jettisoned the load. When he was then nearing the rising ground ahead, he attempted to escape by turning 130 degrees left but as there was insufficient space to complete this manoeuvre, he closed the throttle and the aircraft stalled on to the ground.

The pilot held a current commercial pilot licence. His total experience amounted to 1,500 hours, 1,459 hours of which were flown on DH-82 aircraft; his total experience in aerial agricultural operations was 1,300 hours. The pilot stated that he experienced a severe down draught during the turn. The existence of some vertical movement of the air is possible but as he described the atmospheric conditions as "wind light, 2-3 m.p.h., calm conditions and very little turbulence". It is most unlikely that a down draught of the magnitude suggested was encountered.

In the final stages of the turn the aircraft was heading towards rapidly rising ground and this probably gave the impression that it was descending under the influence of a down draught.

It was concluded that the accident was due to the pilot's error of judgment resulting in flying into a valley at a height which did not afford sufficient lateral space to manoeuvre clear of terrain".

Registration VH-PCP cancelled 9.6.59 as "withdrawn from use"

Murrurundi is a rural town located in the Upper Hunter Shire, in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Murrurundi is situated 193 km (120 miles) northwest by road from Newcastle and 309 km (192 miles) north from Sydney. It is also 26km (16 miles) from the crash site at Timor, NSW.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. ATSB Safety Digest Issue 09, March 1957 p.26: https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/5774706/asd_09_mar_57.pdf
3. https://airwaysmuseum.com/Downloads/DCA%20accident%20reports%201956%20to%201968%20v2.pdf
4. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/29222:vh-pcp-1
5. https://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austmz/VH-PCP.html
6. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17d.htm
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p828.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blandford,_New_South_Wales
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrurundi#Transport
.

DH.82A Tiger Moth c/no 82809 (Gipsy Major #82726); built by Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford. Taken on charge by the RAF as R4892 at 4 MU RAF Cowley, Oxford and shipped direct to Australia 6.3.40 on the s.s. "Port Halifax". Taken on charge by the RAAF 1.6.40, retaining RAF serial. To 5 EFTS RAAF Narromine, NSW 1.7.40. To 2 EFTS RAAF Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland 3.10.41. To 5 EFTS RAAF Narromine, NSW 13.4.42. To Air Gunnery School, RAAF West Sale 13.7.44; put up for sale 26.2.46.

Struck off charge when sold 7.5.48 to Edward Macarthur Onslow, Camden, NSW. Registered as VH-PCP 17.9.51 to Air-Griculture Control Ltd, Sydney, NSW. Re-registered 9.9.52 to Aerial Agriculture Pty Ltd, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Badly damaged when overturned taxying at St. Albans, NSW 25.7.55; repaired and returned to service.

Badly damaged when crashed during crop spraying at Timor, NSW 8.4.56 as per the above. Registration VH-PCP cancelled 9.6.59.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-May-2025 15:46	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-May-2025 18:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Source, Narrative, ]