Date:	Sunday 4 December 1960
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Agricultural Aviation Pty Ltd
Registration:	VH-SCI
MSN:	84660
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Gyranda Station, Eidsvold-Theodore Road, Cracow, Queensland -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Gyranda Station Airstrip, Eidsvold-Theodore Road, Cracow, Queensland
Destination airport:

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-SCI, Agricultural Aviation Pty Ltd, Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland: Written off (destroyed) when spun in and crashed at Gyranda Station, Eidsvold-Theodore Road, Cracow, Queensland 4.12.60; pilot Hilary M Eves killed. The aircraft was involved in agricultural (crop spraying/top dressing) operations. According to the summary from the DCA Report into the incident:

"Whilst engaged in seeding operations the aircraft entered a spin at a height of approximately 400 feet and continued until it struck the ground in a vertical, nose down attitude. The cause of the accident has not been determined".

The incident was briefly reported at the time in the contemporary local press (The Canberra Times (Canberra, ACT) Monday 5 Dec 1960 Page 3):

"PILOT KILLED IN PLANE CRASH
BRISBANE, Sunday
A Brisbane pilot, Hilary Eves, was killed when his crop-dusting plane crashed on a station property at Cracow, 150 miles south-west of Rockhampton, to-day."

Ex-T6234 (RAF serial), G-AMVF. Registration VH-SCI cancelled 14.7.61.

Cracow is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia. Gyranda is located 42km south of Theodore and 10km north of Cracow on the Eidsvold-Theodore Road, Central Queensland. According to the Gyranda Station website "Gyranda all-weather Light Airstrip Strip is 1000m, orientated East–West, at Latitude 25°15 Longitude 150°11".

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. (The Canberra Times (Canberra, ACT) Monday 5 Dec 1960 Page 3: PILOT KILLED IN PLANE CRASH: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103111474
3. https://airwaysmuseum.com/Downloads/DCA%20accident%20reports%201956%20to%201968%20v2.pdf
4. As VH-SCI 1959-1960: https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/32183:vh-sci-1
5. as G-AMVF 1951-1959: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AMVF.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p846.html
7. https://gyranda.com.au/about/history/
8. https://gyranda.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Directions-to-Gyranda_2022.pdf
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracow,_Queensland
.

c/no. 84660: Built by Morris Motors at Cowley, Oxford, UK. Taken on charge by the RAF as T6234 at 9 EFTS RAF Ansty 28.5.41, coded “69”. To 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire 1.4.44. To 25 [P]EFTS, RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire 25.11.44, coded "42". To 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Gloucestershire 21.3.46 for long-term storage pending disposal.

Struck off RAF charge when sold 30.3.51 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth. Registered as G-AMVF (C of R R3836) 6.10.52 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth. Registration cancelled 1.4.57 and re-registered 12.4.57 to Britten-Norman Ltd, Bembridge, Isle of Wight and converted to crop-sprayer. C of A issued 17.4.57. Registration cancelled and re-registered 31.7.57 to Crop Culture (Aerial) Ltd, Bembridge, Isle of Wight. Registration G-AMVF cancelled 26.6.59 as \\'sold to Australia\\'.

Re-registered as VH-SCI (C of R 3325) 11.9.59 to Agricultural Aviation Pty Ltd, Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland.

Written off (destroyed) when Spun in and crashed at Gyranda Station, near Cracow, Queesnland 4.12.60; pilot Hilary M Eves killed. Registration VH-SCI cancelled 14.7.61.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Jun-2025 06:53	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Jun-2025 05:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]