Pilot confused airport - and landed on US bomber base
A VistaJet business jet, flying on September 12 from London to Kemble Airport, mistakenly landed at the strategic RAF Fairford military base used by the US Air Force. The aircraft was held for three hours for inspections before safely reaching its destination. This is not the first incident — in 2016, a similar error occurred with a Piper PA-30.
A VistaJet Cessna Citation XLS+ business jet, operating a flight on September 12 from London City Airport to Kemble Airport in western England, mistakenly landed at the strategic RAF Fairford military base, which is used by the US Air Force. The aircraft departed at 08:49 and landed at the wrong airfield around 09:20. The error was discovered after landing, triggering emergency security measures — the aircraft was held for three hours for inspections and pilot interviews. Only at 12:16 was the plane allowed to take off, after which it completed a short flight to Kemble. The confusion is attributed to the fact that Kemble and Fairford are only 18 km apart, with runways oriented in similar directions. This is not the first such case: in April 2016, a Piper PA-30 pilot also mistakenly landed at Fairford, calling it a "classic case of confirmation bias." No official explanations have been published by VistaJet, the UK Ministry of Defence, or the US Air Force. No injuries or damage have been reported.