Date:	Friday 1 January 1960
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	J.M. Smeets
Registration:	PH-NIK
MSN:	83584
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Genk-Zwartberg Airfield, Genk, Limburg -   Belgium
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Zwartberg Airfield, Genk, Belgium (CNK/EBZW)
Destination airport:	Maastricht Aachen Airport, Beek, Limburg, Netherlands (EHBK)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth MSN 83584 (built by Morris Motors, Cowley, Oxford); Taken on charge by the RAF as T7145 at 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire 27.7.40. To 1 EFTS RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire 7.11.40. To 28 EFTS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 1.11.41. Crashed 12.5.42; aircraft accident near Bishop's Wood, Staffordshire. Both crew - Sergeant S B Wood (Instructor), Sergeant I Swiecicki (Polish, Pilot Under Training) - survived but injured;

To Southern Aircraft, Gatwick for repairs 17.5.42. To 39 MU RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 14.6.42 after repairs complete. To 10 Flying Instructors School, RAF Woodley, Reading, Berskhire 6.2.43. To 11 EFTS RAF Perth/Scone, Perthshire 10.7.44, coded ‘FIB-J’. To 11 RFS RAF Perth/Scone, Perthsire 26.6.47, coded “21”. To 62 Group Communications Flight, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 14.5.52. To 81 Group Communications Flight, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 15.8.52; renamed Colerne Communications Squadron 7.52. To 12 MU RAF Kirkbride, Cumberland 5.2.53 for storage pending disposal.

Struck off charge when sold 18.11.53 to A.J. Whittemore [Aeradio] Ltd, Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. Registered as G-APFT (C of R R6118) 27.8.57 to Rollason Aircraft & Engines Ltd, Croydon. C of A issued 22.11.57. Registration cancelled 22.11.57 as 'sold to Holland'.

Registered PH-NIK (C of R 609) 4.2.58 to J.M. Smeets, Maastricht; named "Spoed-Nik". Damaged in collision at Zwartberg Airfield, Belgium 1.1.60 (or 4.1.60) and returned to Rollasons, Croydon for rebuild. Zwartberg Airfield (Vliegveld Zwartberg) is an airport located 6 km north-northeast of Genk, Limburg, Belgium, at approximate coordiantes 51°0′55″N, 5°31′35″E.

Struck glider towing cable while banner towing at Terlet 29.7.60; returned to Croydon but not rebuilt. Registration G-APFT cancelled 28.11.60. Stored Croydon until 9.66; to Rollasons store at Rochester and burnt in clearout 1979.

1. AAIU Belgium
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1997 p.58)
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p835.html
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR81/14240: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17206877
6. The British Civil Aircraft Register G-APAA to G-APZZ (Bernard Hartin, Air Britain, 1978 p.26)
7. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-APFT.pdf
8. Tiger Moth PH-NIK at Croydon in 1957: https://aflyinghistory.com/search-aeroplane-photographs?query=PH-NIK
9. https://paperzz.com/doc/6842876/accident-reports-available-on-request-to-info p.3
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwartberg_Airfield

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

29 July 1960

PH-NIK

J.M. Smeets

0

Terlet Airfield, Gelderland

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Sep-2021 21:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category]
22-Mar-2022 23:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
08-Nov-2022 13:06	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]