RAF Typhoons In Near Miss During Lossiemouth Night Flight

The incident occurred near to RAF Lossiemouth last year (Picture: MOD).

Two RAF fighter jets only narrowly avoided a collision in a "high risk" incident over the Scottish airbase, a report had said.

An investigation by UK Airprox Board found one of the Typhoon pilots took an unexpected course during a night flight near RAF Lossiemouth last December.

The pilot had not flown the circuit in dark conditions before and was, therefore "unfamiliar with how the circuit visual cues would appear".

A crash was only avoided because one of the pilots happened to check his navigation system at the last minute.

The report found the danger was heightened because the jets did not have a functioning data link, which could have alerted the crews to the risk.

An RAF spokesman said: "Air safety considerations are at the core of all our aviation activity, but no flying is without risk.

"Millions of military and civilian flights are made in UK airspace each year with only a very small number of air proximity reports being made, of which even less identify that the safety of our aircraft may have been compromised, underlining the professionalism of commercial, military and private aviators."

Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth have been scrambled four times in recent months, as long-range Russian bombers approached UK airspace.

Personnel and Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth also conducted a NATO Air Policing mission role in Romania in 2018, where they scrambled eight times in response to 20 Russian aircraft as part of assurance measures for eastern allies.

The Typhoon is capable of intercepting aircraft from the smallest light aircraft to the largest of airliners.

The supersonic fighter has the ability to reach all corners of the UK’s airspace within minutes of getting airborne.