A pilot on his first solo flight completely mistook a carriageway for a UK airport runway, in what has been labeled as a 'serious' incident.
A unnamed 72-year-old pilot had just a mere 233 hours of flight experience, as he decided he would embark on a flight alone.
The horror incident, which occurred around 7.45pm on January 9, 2022, saw the pilot mistake the bustling A1 dual carriageway for the Newcastle International Airport runway.
Now, an investigation has been conducted by the aviation authority.
The pilot misidentified road lights for runway lights and drifted his plane south of the airport he was meant to land at, according to the incident report.
While establishing his position he realised had completely lost track of his route.
The 72-year-old then allowed the aircraft to near approximately 300ft above ground level, before realising he was too low and ascended substantially.
Once safely level, the pilot turned back toward the airfield, with the assistance from Newcastle Air Traffic Control.
Thanks to their swift thinking, the pilot was was able to regain visual contact with the runway and landed the Reims Cessna F172M Light Aircraft in a safe and secure fashion.
Following the horror incident, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch filed a report on the 'serious incident'.
Luckily, no one was injured.
The runway at Newcastle International Airport runs adjacent to the busy A1.
