Harrison Ford crosses runway in his aircraft while another plane was about to land, FAA investigating incident
Harrison Ford, an avid flyer, reportedly made a mistake while operating his plane on a runway in California, triggering an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
According to reports, the 77-year-old actor was instructed to "hold short" of the runway at the Hawthorne Airport in Southern California as another plane was about to land on it, but Ford missed the directive and crossed it. The incident happened on Friday, April 24, when ‘The Call of the Wild’ star reportedly landed at the airport and began cruising on the taxiway to reach the other end of the runway. As per the audio obtained by TMZ, Ford was asked by a tower operator to "hold short" and not cross the runway as there was another plane a few miles behind him that was practicing touch-and-go landings.
“Can you hold short on the runway. Traffic on the runway,” the tower operator told Ford in the audio. But it appeared ‘The Fugitive’ actor could not hear the instruction, and started crossing the runway, prompting the operator to rebuke the actor for not following his instructions.
“Get across that runway now! I told you to hold short! You need to listen up," the operator said angrily.
To which, Ford apologized immediately, saying he heard the exact opposite. “Excuse me, sir, I thought exactly the opposite. I'm terribly sorry," Ford responded.
Reports also claimed that there was no risk of a crash because the other plane was 3,600 feet away from Ford’s when it hit the runway. Besides, that plane was practicing touch-and-go landings, and it was up in the air long before reaching the other end of the runway where Ford crossed in his plane.
However, the incident is under investigation, according to an official at the FAA.
“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. The purpose of the flight was to maintain currency and proficiency of the aircraft,” a representative for Ford said.
As per reports, the ‘Blade Runner’ star was in the process of getting his license updated so he could participate in relief efforts when the hiccup happened. Over the years, he has participated in several humanitarian works, including working with Doctors Without Borders, and has helped rescue stranded hikers in Wyoming.
This incident comes five years after Ford injured himself while crashing his vintage World War II training plane into a Los Angeles golf course in 2015. He suffered head injuries and a broken arm. At the time, the environmental activist was flying solo in the yellow craft when he crash-landed on the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California, after reporting engine failure.
“There was blood all over his face. Two very fine doctors were treating him, taking good care of him. I helped put a blanket under his hip,” golf course worker named Howard Tabe said then.
Another worker at the golf course said that Ford banked his craft to avoid hitting anyone in the course. “We saw the plane coming down. The course was packed with golfers. You could tell the pilot saw them and maneuvered to avoid them,” maintenance worker Luis Rivera said at the time.