A Meirionnydd woman said she was left “aghast” when a military plane flew “unbelievably low” over her home.

Marian Rees of Talyllyn told the Cambrian News about her experience last Tuesday, and added that Ministry of Defence flying activity in the area had “reached a new level”.

Marian said: “I was standing outside my house on Tuesday morning, chatting to some campers – it was a beautiful, tranquil and lovely morning - when a Hercules transport plane came down the Talyllyn Pass at an unbelievably low level.

“It came right over my house narrowly missing the chimney pots.

“We stood there aghast, totally flabbergasted by the incident.”

However, the RAF said Marian was mistaken about the type of plane and its height, and people often believe aircraft are lower than they actually are.

An RAF spokesperson said: “Members of the public who are not familiar with the size of RAF aircraft often believe aircraft are much lower than they actually are; the RAF aircraft identified by the member of the public on Tuesday, 22 June, was not a Hercules C-130 but in fact a larger A400M Atlas.

“This aircraft was completing essential low-flying training which remains vital for our aircrew to achieve and maintain operational effectiveness.”

The Atlas A400M operated from RAF Brize Norton.

The crew were authorised to fly to 250 feet but didn’t go lower than 300 feet during the flight, the RAF spokesperson added.

They also said military aircrew do not intentionally fly over houses, settlements or livestock but unfortunately there are no uninhabited areas of the UK large enough to cater for essential training needs. As a result, it is likely that people living in less populated areas will see some low-flying training overhead.

He added that the safety of the public, aircrew, and aircraft is their paramount concern.

The MOD has a Low Flying Complaints Enquiry Unit for the public to report military low-flying incidents which have caused concern.

Noise from low-flying aircraft has long been an issue in Dwyfor Meirionnydd.

In December, Jean Miles of Harlech complained about the noise from a Beechcraft Texan training plane based at RAF Valley on Anglesey.

She said then that it flies regularly over the area and the noise it makes is “a pain to experience”.

In March, the Cambrian News reported that the RAF planned to cut the number of these low-flying aircraft in the region.

This followed complaints by residents to Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts.

The issue was also raised in Parliament by Arfon MP Hywel Williams on Thursday, 3 December.