Incident Details
On 23 April 2016 at 0930 UTC, a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche (registration G-ATXD) operated by a private pilot conducted an approach to what he believed was Kemble Airport but was actually RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. The aircraft, manufactured in 1966 and equipped with two Lycoming IO-320-B1A piston engines, landed safely at Fairford. The sole crew member and two passengers were uninjured, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
Pilot's Account
The pilot, aged 69 with 8,219 total flying hours (279 on type), was familiar with Kemble and regularly flew via Fairford. On this flight, he changed frequency from Brize Radar to Kemble Information while near Farringdon and advised Kemble he would join right-hand downwind for Runway 08. He sighted a runway at Fairford, which he mistook for Kemble due to its similar bearing and distance from his position. The pilot stated that this triggered a false hypothesis based on expectation, and he did not verify his location. He added that he was distracted by explaining pre-landing checks and procedures to his passengers.
The pilot realized the error upon touchdown, completed a safe landing, and informed Kemble of the mistake. He described the event as a classic case of confirmation bias and noted that joining downwind deprived him of the opportunity to recognize the error during an overhead join.
Source: AAIB Bulletin 11/2016 (EW/G2016/04/14)