Date:	Friday 20 March 1959
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Neil M McInnes, t/a Farmair, Gippsland, Victoria
Registration:	VH-APM
MSN:	82566 (DHA.12)
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Foster, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Foster, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria
Destination airport:

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-APM, Neil M McInnes, t/a Farmair, Gippsland, Victoria: Written off (destroyed) when crashed (for the 3rd and final time) 20.3.59 into a hill when crop spraying/top dressing near Foster, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria. According to the summary from the DCA Report into the incident:

"A substantial loss of engine power occurred probably resulting from magneto wear, and the pilot lost control of the aircraft in an attempt to land on unsuitable terrain".

As stated above VH-APM crashed three times between 1950 and 1959
03.11.50: Crashed into cottage Umina Beach, 3 miles from Woy Woy, NSW 3.11.50 (1st Crash) (see separate ASN entry)
12.03.57: Badly damaged on take-off Hallston, Victoria (2nd crash)
20.03.59: Crashed near Foster, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria (3rd and final crash)

Ex-A17-12. Registration cancelled 10.4.59.

Foster is a dairying and grazing town 174 kilometres (108 miles) south-east of Melbourne on the South Gippsland Highway in Victoria, Australia.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. The Canberra Times (Canberra, ACT) Mon 20 March 1959 Page 1: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/11487416#
3. Crash 3.11.50: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/486824
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p825.html
5. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/10348-vh-apm-1
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
8. https://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa2/VH-APM.html
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster,_Victoria

DeHavilland UK c/nos. 82555-82574 were supplied without engines to DeHavilland Australia at Mascot, Sydney, NSW as "fuselage and parts only" and were given c/no’s DHA.1 to 20 and RAAF serials as A17-1 to A17-20 after assembly by DeHavilland Australia in 1939 using locally built wings.

c/no. 82666 [also DHA.12] (Gipsy Major engine #9034): Taken on charge as A17-12 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond 26.8.39. To 22 Squadron RAAF 8.11.39. To 2 EFTS RAAF Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland 5.1.40. To 4 EFTS RAAF Mascot, Sydney, NSW 4.11.40. Fitted in February 1941 with a new engine (Gipsy Major #9021). To 1 Aircraft Depot 29.5.41. To 1 Wireless & Gunnery School 25.6.41. To NAC for inspection 23.11.41. To 3 Wireless & Gunnery School 27.3.42. To 2 Aircraft Depot 14.9.42. To 1 AOS 21.12.42. To 5 EFTS RAAF Narromine 31.12.42 [or 18.1.43?] for storage. To 5 Aircraft Depot RAAF Wagga Wagga, NSW 23.6.44 and stored pending disposal. Put up for disposal 6.12.45. To CMU RAAF Wagga Wagga, NSW 1.3.46.

Struck off charge when sold 18.3.46 to Mr Bridgewater, t/a Shark Patrol Service Co, Sydney, NSW for £250; issued to him 9.4.46. Registered as VH-APM 3.10.46 to New England Airways, Mascot, Sydney, NSW. Registration cancelled 20.10.47. Registration restored 15.11.49 to same owner. Re-registered 16.11.49 to The Truscott Club for Aeronauts, Bankstown.

Crashed into cottage Umina Beach, 3 miles from Woy Woy, NSW 3.11.50 (see separate ASN entry). Registration VH-APM cancelled 9.1.51. Registration restored 9.7.53 to Archibald Mills, Sans Souci, NSW. Re-registered 12.8.53 to Airmech, t/a Illawarra Flying School, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Re-registered in December 1953 to Neil M McInnes, t/a Farmair, Gippsland, Victoria. Badly damaged on take-off Hallston, Victoria 12.3.57; repaired. Written off (destroyed) when crashed (for the 3rd and final time) 20.3.59 into a hill when crop spraying/top dressing near Foster, Victoria. Registration cancelled 10.4.59.

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


3 November 1950

VH-APM

The Truscott Club for Aeronauts

0

5 Nelson Street, Umina Beach, 3 miles from Woy Woy, NSW

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2025 06:02	Dr. John Smith	Added