Date:	Monday 2 April 1956
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Jamestown District Aero Club
Registration:	VH-BSY
MSN:	82572 [DHA.18]
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hawker Airport, 72 Ward Road, Hawker, South Australia -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Hawker Airport, Hawker, SA (YHAW)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-BSY, Jamestown District Aero Club, Jamestown, SA: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed on take-off at Hawker Airport, 72 Ward Road, Hawker, South Australia 2.4.56. According to the summary from the DCA Report into the incident:

"The aircraft struck a ditch and overturned when the engine lost power on take-off due to the failure of several spark plugs.

Ex-A17-18, VH-BNC, VH-BWC. Registration VH-BSY cancelled 30.11.56.

Hawker is a town and a locality in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 kilometres (227 mi) north of Adelaide. Hawker Airfield (ICAO:YHAW) is a regional airport located at Hawker, South Australia. The airstrip services the greater Flinders Ranges area up North in South Australia. The airstrip has only 1 runway (18/36) which is made from Asphalt. The airfield services the RFDS services, with a close proximity to the Flinders Rangers Way.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
2. https://airwaysmuseum.com/Downloads/DCA%20accident%20reports%201956%20to%201968%20v2.pdf
3. As VH-BNC 1948-1950: https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/12278:vh-bnc-1
4. As VH-BWC 1950-1954: https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/12934:vh-bwc-1
5. As VH-BSY 1954-1956: https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/12733:vh-bsy-1
6. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p825.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Airport
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker,_South_Australia

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. 82572 [DHA.18] (Gipsy Major #9046): Taken on charge as A17-18 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 12.10.39. To 2 EFTS RAAF Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland 5.1.40. Damaged in forced landing 14.3.40; Forced landing due to engine failure. Mainplanes, undercarriage, airscrew, centre secion and rudder damaged. Air Cadet HA Lenne uninjured. Stored until sent to Aircraft Pty Ltd 12.8.40 for repairs; upon completion of repairs, returned to 2 EFTS RAAF Archerfield 13.9.40. Forced landing no damage, due to engine failure. LAC GWN Bassingthwaite uninjured 28.1.41. Heavy landing, bounced and tipped on nose. Undercarriage broken. Structural damage to fuselage and mainplanes 26.3.41. Issued APL ex 2 EFTS (repair) 7.4.41. Received 2 EFTS ex APL 4.10.41. Allotted 11 EFTS ex 2 EFTS.15.4.42 Above allottment cancelled.

To 5 EFTS RAAF Narromine, NSW 15.4.42. To De Havilland Australia at Mascot, Sydney, NSW 23.2.44 for overhaul. To 2 Aircraft Park 7.5.44. To 5 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Wagga Wagga, NSW 10.5.44. To 11 EFTS RAAF Benalla, Victoria 17.11.44 for storage. To 3 AOS RAAF Port Pirie 29.12.44. To 5 CRD 1.2.46; to CMU Port Pirie 15.3.46 for long-term storage pending disposal 7.6.46.

Struck off charge when sold 30.9.46 to Royal Aero Club of South Australia for £100; issued to them 13.12.46. Registered as VH-BNC (C of R 1580) 21.10.48 to Royal Aero Club of South Australia, Parafield (with c/n ‘1223’; reason unknown - but not a corruption of De Havilland Australia overhaul no. T223 which was VH-AQX). Re-registered as VH-BWC 8.12.50 to same owner. Re-registered VH-BSY 6.12.54 to same owner. Re-registered 10.12.54 to Jamestown District Aero Club, Jamestown, SA.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed on take-off at Hawker Airport, 72 Ward Road, Hawker, South Australia 2.4.56. Registration VH-BSY cancelled 30.11.56.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2025 15:49	Dr. John Smith	Added