What happened
On Sunday, 30 November 2025, a de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth registered VH-RAY was involved in a landing accident at South Grafton Airport, New South Wales. The aircraft, a 1939-built vintage taildragger powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine, was conducting a private operation and attempting to land on the airport's grass runway.
At approximately 11:55 am local time, during the approach and touchdown phase, the pilot misjudged the runway surface. The aircraft's propeller struck the ground, and following the impact, the Tiger Moth nosed over and came to rest inverted on the grass strip. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured in the occurrence.
Emergency responders attended the scene promptly. The de Havilland sustained substantial damage to its airframe and structure as a result of the nose-over and inversion. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was notified of the accident and documented the event as part of its aviation occurrence reporting processes.