Incident Overview
On 3 July 2016, a privately operated Pierre Robin DR400/180R Remorqueur (G-ELUN) experienced a serious incident when its pilot misidentified Warton Aerodrome for Blackpool Airport. The aircraft landed at Warton before being instructed to go-around and reposition to the correct destination. No injuries to the crew or passengers were reported, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
Flight History
The pilot, who held a Private Pilot’s Licence with 224 total flying hours (136 hours on type), departed from Fishburn Airfield, County Durham, bound for Blackpool Airport – his first flight into Blackpool. Approaching from the north-east, the pilot reported abeam Blackpool High Tower and was instructed to orbit due to other traffic. After orbiting north of Inskip disused airfield, he was cleared for a right base join for Runway 28 at Blackpool, where the circuit had at least two other aircraft.
Exiting the orbit, the pilot identified an airfield and set up for landing, believing he was at Blackpool. In reality, he had approached Warton’s Runway 25. The Warton radar controller had observed the aircraft’s track crossing an area of restricted airspace and alerted Warton Tower. The tower controller attempted to signal the aircraft using a red Aldis lamp and varied runway light settings, but the pilot did not respond.
Response and Go-Around
As G-ELUN touched down, Blackpool Air Traffic Control instructed the pilot to go-around. The pilot executed a touch-and-go and subsequently repositioned to Blackpool Airport without further issue.
Commentary
The AAIB report noted that although Warton Approach could not communicate with the pilot, radar monitoring allowed the controller to track the aircraft and alert the tower. This demonstrated the value of the radar service as an additional safety barrier. The report also highlighted that this was not the first instance of an aircraft misidentifying Warton for Blackpool; the aerodrome operator had earlier produced a video to help pilots correctly identify the two airfields.