Pilots not warned of collision risk, report finds

A fighter jet pilot who had not been warned of a light aircraft in their path avoided a potential collision thanks to a break in the weather, a report has found.

Two F-15 fighter jets bound for RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk were forced to change course to avoid a light aircraft near Peterborough on 8 January 2026.

The UK Airprox Board said the US Air Force pilots had not been made aware of the light aircraft by any of the three air traffic controllers on shift at the time.

Following an investigation, controllers at RAF Lakenheath were reminded of their shared responsibility to provide a safe service to all aircraft under their control, the report said.

The two fighter jets had been receiving information from air traffic controllers as they navigated cloudy conditions.

But they were not informed of the light aircraft, which the pilot in the lead jet had spotted on radar.

The report said the lead jet made a 10-degree turn to avoid the civilian aircraft.

However, the second could not see it through breaks in the cloud until it was much closer, so it had to take a larger 30-degree turn to avoid a collision.

One of the air traffic controllers told the UK Airprox Board that they had been handling several flights at the same time.

They recalled the lead fighter jet had reported a change in its route but said they had not been aware of why, adding that they had been monitoring a flight on approach to Lakenheath at the time.

The board commended the lead F-15 pilot for taking positive control and said their action had been enough to avoid any risk of a collision.

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