Date:	Monday 1 December 1958
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Pastoral Aviation, North Carlton, Victoria
Registration:	VH-BSI
MSN:	DHA.1061
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	off Holbrook-Wagga Road, 6 miles North of Holbrook, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Albury Aerodrome, NSW (ABX/YMAY)
Destination airport:	Holbrook, NSW

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-BSI, Pastoral Aviation, North Carlton, Victoria: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when Struck HT wires while crop spraying and crashed 6 miles North of Holbrook, NSW 1.12.58. Aircraft crashed into a paddock off the Holbrook-Wagga Road, and was destroyed by fire. Pilot bailed out just before impact and survived with minor injuries. According to the summary from the DCA Report into the incident:

"During a finishing run along a power line the starboard wingtip touched the line and swung the aircraft down into the crop where it caught fire".

The incident was also reported in the contemporary local press at the time (The Canberra Times (Canberra, ACT) Tuesday 2 Dec 1958 Page 1):

"Pilot Jumps Clear As Plane Crashes, Burns
ALBURY, Monday.
The pilot of a crop dusting plane narrowly escaped death today when his aircraft struck a 66,000 volt powerline, then crashed and burst into flames three miles from Holbrook. The pilot, Douglas Lewis, 35, of Patterson Street, North Carlton, Melbourne, jumped from the plane just as it struck the ground.

He was staggering away from the blazing wreckage when eye witnesses reached the scene. Eye witnesses said the plane struck the high tension wires and hovered for a few seconds before plummeting to the ground. The plane landed in a field of oats, which cushioned the fall of the pilot when he jumped from the cabin.

Mr. Lewis was taken to an Albury hospital, where he was admitted with facial lacerations and shock. Holbrook was blacked out for more than an hour while electricians repaired the damaged power line".

Note that some sources state that the crash location was six miles from Holbrook, but the above newspaper report states "three miles from Holbrook". Registration VH-BSI cancelled 14.8.59.

Holbrook is a small town in Southern New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Hume Highway, 384 kilometres (239 miles) by road North East of Melbourne and 492 kilometres (306 miles) by road south-west of Sydney between Tarcutta and Albury.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. https://airwaysmuseum.com/Downloads/DCA%20accident%20reports%201956%20to%201968%20v2.pdf
3. The Canberra Times (Canberra, ACT) Tuesday 2 Dec 1958 Page 1: Pilot Jumps Clear As Plane Crashes, Burns: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103061584
4. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/12685:vh-bsi-1
5. https://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BSI.html
6. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17c.htm
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus10.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbrook,_New_South_Wales

c/no. DHA. 1061: Taken on charge as A17-730 at 2 Aircraft Park, RAAF Bankstown, Sydney, NSW 6.10.44. To 5 Aircraft Depot, Wagga Wagga, NSW 9.10.44. To 3 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Amberley, Queensland 26.10.44. To 10 EFTS RAAF Temora, 5.3.46; withdrawn from service to storage reserve. Transferred to Care & Maintenance Unit 12.3.46. To 2 Aircraft Depot RAAF Richmond, NSW 28.5.47. To CFS RAAF Point Cook, Victoria 29.9.47; to RAAF East Sale 2.12.47. To RAAF East Sale 25.8.50. To 1 BFTS RAAF Uranquinty, NSW 28.3.52. To 1 Aircraft Depot Detachment B, RAAF Tocumwal, NSW 3.7.54. Put up for sale 3.2.56;

Struck off charge when sold 15.5.56 to Latrobe Valley Aero Club, Morwell, Victoria. Registered as VH-BSI (C of R 2334) 30.5.56 to Latrobe Valley Aero Club, Morwell, Victoria. Re-registered 15.4.57 to Pastoral Aviation, North Carlton, Victoria.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when Struck HT wires while crop spraying and crashed 6 miles North of Holbrook, NSW 1.12.58 as per the above. Aircraft crashed and was destroyed by fire.

Registration VH-BSI cancelled 14.8.59.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-May-2025 05:30	Dr. John Smith	Added