Star Wars leading man, Harrison Ford , has found himself in hot water with air traffic control on Friday after landing his plane at Hawthorne Airport.
Yikes!
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In case you didn’t already know, as well as being one of the most iconic actors of our time, Harrison Ford is also a pilot.
He is a man of many talents !
But on Friday, his piloting skills landed him in a bit of trouble with air traffic control.
TMZ obtained an audio clip of Harrison trying to cross the runway onto the taxiway after the air control operator advised him not to.
“Can you hold short on runway. Traffic on the runway,” the operator said.
At the same time Harrison was trying to cross the runway, another plane was practising touch-and-go landings.
After disobeying the operator, Harrison explained that he didn’t hear the aforementioned comment, asking him *not* to cross.
“You need to listen up,” the operator angrily doubled back .
“Excuse me, sir, I thought exactly the opposite,” Harrison said. “I’m terribly sorry.”
Thankfully, at that exact moment, there was no danger of a collision. The other plane was 3,600 feet away.
“Mr. Ford crossed the airport’s only runway in his aircraft after he misheard a radio instruction from ATC,” an FAA official disclosed to *TMZ*.
“He immediately acknowledged the mistake and apologized to ATC for the error .”
“The purpose of the flight was to maintain currency and proficiency of the aircraft,” they added.
Since the FAA opened an investigation into the incident, a representative for Harrison Ford issued a statement as well.
“Actor and pilot Harrison Ford was involved in a runway incursion April 24th at the Hawthorne Airport,” the statement reads.
“Mr. Ford crossed the airport’s only runway in his aircraft after he misheard a radio instruction from ATC.”
“He immediately acknowledged the mistake and apologized to ATC for the error.”
“No one was injured and there was never any danger of a collision .”
While that is all good and well, the FAA’s concern is understandable.
Harrison’s track-record for landing planes isn’t exactly great. This is his third landing mishap.
In 2015 he crash-landed his plane on a Santa Monica golf course.
After taking off from the Santa Monica airport, he reported engine failure at an altitude of 1,100 feet and requested an immediate turnaround.
After realizing that his plane wasn’t going to be able to safely make it back to the airport, he opted for a crash-landing.
Thankfully, no one on the ground was hurt. But unfortunately, Harrison was badly injured. He spent several weeks recovering in a hospital.
In 2017, he mistakenly landed his plane on a taxiway in Santa Ana, flying directly over a commercial jet that had 116 people aboard according to the FAA.
“Yeah, hi, it’s Husky Eight-Niner Hotel Uniform (call sign) and the schmuck that landed on the taxiway,” he can be heard saying in an audio clip not long after landing .
The air traffic control operator dismissed the error, saying it was “no big deal.”
“It’s a big deal for me,” Harrison replied, explaining that he was distracted .
What do you think of the 77-year-old, Harrison Ford’s latest piloting error at Hawthorne Airport?
Let us know in the comments below!
Last Updated on April 30, 2020 by Elizabeth Spina
