What happened
On 30 October 2025, the owner of a De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth was conducting circuit operations with an instructor at an aircraft landing area in regional Victoria as part of an aircraft type familiarisation. The flight involved practice of the wheel landing technique,[1] as the owner advised their previous tailwheel aircraft experience was limited to three-point landings.[2]
The owner and instructor both reported that at the time of the occurrence, the weather conditions were clear with negligible wind.
During the fourth touch-and-go, while in the ground-roll, the pilot flying (owner) abruptly applied full power and forward stick. The aircraft pitched forward, lifting the tail above the normal attitude for take-off and the propeller struck the ground. The aircraft subsequently nosed over, coming to a stop inverted. The instructor noted that they did not react quickly enough to arrest this movement as their attention was diverted to monitoring the pilot flying’s directional control during the landing and take-off sequence.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabiliser, wings, fuel tank and fuselage (Figure 1), however, the occupants were uninjured.
Shortly after the occurrence, the pilot flying questioned the configuration of the DH-82A’s automatic slats at the time of the nose over. The instructor advised the ATSB that when the slats are in the unlocked position, the DH-82A can be more challenging to handle during wheel landings. Prior to the fourth touch-and-go, the slats had been configured in the locked position. However, during the final touch-and-go, the slats were unlocked, changing the handling characteristics. This change in slat configuration by the pilot flying had not been briefed prior to the flight.
Figure 1: Aircraft inverted post-occurrence
Source: Photo supplied by operator, annotated by the ATSB
Safety message
This occurrence highlights the challenges when operating tailwheel aircraft due to their unique handling characteristics. In particular, the typical placement of the main landing gear in front of the centre of gravity endows the aircraft with a sensitivity in pitch movement. This can result in pitch excursions and nose-over accidents during take-off or touch-and-go landings should pilots not remain fully cognisant of this behaviour.
These characteristics can be further exacerbated with the use of secondary flight controls such as wing flaps, slats and trim systems. Prior to training flights, pilots and instructors must brief the scope of the operation and discuss any changes that may be made, especially those that affect the flying characteristics of an aircraft.
It is also important for instructors conducting training and familiarisation flights to maintain effective awareness of the aircraft’s state and ensure they are prepared to rapidly intervene should the pilot flying experience control difficulties. This is particularly important during critical phases of flight such as the take-off.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.
[1] Wheel landing: a technique where the aircraft touches down on the main landing gear first with the tail raised. It is the preferred technique in crosswind conditions as it improves the directional controllability while on the ground.
[2] Three-point landing: a technique where the aircraft touches down on the main landing gear and nose wheel simultaneously.