Dehavilland TIGER MOTH DH 82A accident near Modena, New York, December 12, 2015
On December 12, 2015 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1940 Dehavilland TIGER MOTH DH 82A, registered N9410, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Modena, New York (Old Orchard Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to a stuck No. 1 cylinder exhaust valve.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2015 · about 5:00 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Modena, New York · Old Orchard Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland TIGER MOTH DH 82A, built 1940 · all TIGER MOTH DH 82As on the register
- Registration
- N9410 · registry record · serial DE-941
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway; however, the airplane was not able to maintain altitude and struck trees about 1/4 mile from the airport. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the cylinder's exhaust valve was stuck open and that the No. 1 cylinder produced little to no compression when the crankshaft was rotated. The loss of compression on the No. 1 cylinder would have resulted in a partial loss of engine power and airplane's inability to maintain altitude. Disassembly of the left magneto revealed that its breaker spring was fractured, but investigators were unable to determine whether the left magneto failed before or during the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Malfunction other cases naming the engine
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 650 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 7, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,260 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2019; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,825 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Dehav Eng GIPSY MAJOR (piston); 2,045 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2NK9 Modena NY at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 44N Lagrangeville NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from POU, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 16, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandums for Record (FAA Inspector and Pilot) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9410 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9410 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Dehavilland TIGER MOTH DH 82A 52 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Dehavilland 861 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Dehav Eng GIPSY MAJOR · as the NTSB recorded it
- Old Orchard Airpark · nearest airport
- Sky Acres Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,663 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N9410 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA16LA065.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.