Date:	Saturday 8 November 1947
Time:	afternoon
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Royal Victorian Aero Club
Registration:	VH-BIZ
MSN:	DHA.1042
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Henry Luscombe Property, Bendigo Road, 1.5 miles N of Keilor, Victoria -   Australia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Essendon Airfield, Melbourne, Victoria (MEB/YMEN)
Destination airport:	Essendon Airfield, Melbourne, Victoria (MEB/YMEN)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-BIZ, Royal Victorian Aero Club: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed on the Henry Luscombe Property, Bendigo Road, 1.5 miles North of Keilor, Victoria 8.11.47. Both on board survived with only minor injuries. The incident was recorded at the time in the local newspapers (The Age (Melbourne, Vic.) Monday 10 November 1947 Page 3

"NOSE DIVE BY PLANE -
Lucky Escape By Occupants
Two occupants of a Tiger Moth aircraft, which crashed in a paddock near Keilor on Saturday afternoon, had remarkable escapes. The plane was wrecked, but they suffered only shock and minor lacerations. They were:

Miss Eileen Maude Steenson, 32 years, Windsor-avenue, Essendon, pilot.
Mr. Charles Wright, 27 years, William-street, Essendon, passenger.

Both were taken by ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital and detained overnight. Miss Steenson told the police that the plane 'hit an air pocket and dived to the ground'. The plane was noticed circling over Bendigo Road, about a mile and a half north of Keilor. Suddenly It began to lose height. It lurched and gained height momentarily, and then nose dived from about 300 feet, crashing In a paddock on the property of Mr. Henry Luscombe.

Motorists dashed across the field and found Miss Steenson practically unhurt. They helped her extricate Mr. Wright. Essendon flight check officials said the plane left Essendon aerodrome on an extended local flight. It was the property of the Royal Victorian Aero Club, and was smashed beyond repair. Petrol sprayed from the broken tank, but luckily a fire did not occur."

Registration VH-BIZ cancelled 8.12.47.

Keilor is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km (9.9 mi) north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Brimbank and Hume local government areas.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. The Age (Melbourne, Vic.) Monday 10 November 1947 Page 3: NOSE DIVE BY PLANE: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206060040
3. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/11949:vh-biz-1
4. https://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BIZ.html
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17c.htm
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus10.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keilor,_Victoria

c/no. DHA.1042: Taken on charge as A17-607 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 10.8.42. To 1 AOS, RAAF Station, Cootamundra, NSW 17.8.42. To 11 EFTS RAAF Benalla, Victoria 26.8.42. To Victorian & Interstate Airways, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria 29.1.44 for overhaul. Upon completion, to 5 Aircraft Depot RAAF Wagga Wagga, NSW 27.7.44. Transferred to Care & Maintenance Unit 12.3.46 for long-term storage pedning disposal; put up for sale 11.7.47.

Struck off charge when sold 14.8.47 for £90 to Royal Victorian Aero Club, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria; issued to them 3.9.47. Registered as VH-BIZ (C of R 1401) 17.10.47 to Royal Victorian Aero Club, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed on the Henry Luscombe Property, Bendigo Road, 1.5 miles North of Keilor, Victoria 8.11.47.

Registration VH-BIZ cancelled 8.12.47.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-May-2025 14:09	Dr. John Smith	Added