What happened
On 9 January 2022, a Reims Cessna F172M, registration G-MOFO, was engaged in a night training flight at Newcastle International Airport. The pilot was performing his first solo night flight as part of a Night Rating course. While flying downwind in a right-hand circuit, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway. During this period, the pilot mistook lights from the nearby A1 dual carriageway for runway lighting, which caused the aircraft to drift south of the intended course.
In the process of attempting to re-establish visual contact with the airfield, the aircraft's altitude decreased to approximately 300 ft agl. During this descent, Newcastle Air Traffic Control observed the aircraft's transponder Mode C altitude dropping toward 500 ft and instructed the pilot to climb. The pilot subsequently initiated a climb and, after reaching a safe level, returned toward the airport. With guidance from air traffic controllers, the pilot regained sight of the runway and completed a landing via an abbreviated left-hand circuit. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and data from a SkyDemon track log. The inquiry examined the pilot's flight path and the circumstances surrounding the loss of situational awareness during the night operation. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's training progress, noting that following the incident, the pilot underwent a debriefing and a detailed ground briefing regarding Newcastle's local features and radio procedures before being cleared to continue training.