Not again! Harrison Ford almost crashes into passenger jet in airport near-miss
HARRISON Ford almost crashed his plane into a Boeing 737 carrying 110 passengers, it was reported last night.
The actor and amateur pilot, who has been involved in several crashes over the years, had a close call when landing his singleengine Husky plane in California on Monday.
Ford, 74, reportedly tried to land on a taxiway rather than a runway, narrowly avoiding an American Airlines jet which was preparing to take off.
The Star Wars and Indiana Jones star, who was in a serious plane crash in 2015, was heard on air traffic control asking: ‘Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?’
The Federal Aviation Authority said controllers had given Ford clear instructions to land on the runway at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, as landing on a taxiway is a safety violation. They claimed the actor read the instructions back but still ended up aiming for the taxiway.
The regulator has now launched an investigation. If Ford is found to be at fault he could receive a warning or even lose his licence.
In 2015, the vintage aircraft collector crashlanded a Second World War-era plane after the engine failed. It plummeted into a California golf course, with Ford suffering head injuries and a broken arm.
He also crash-landed a helicopter in 1999, and was forced to perform an emergency landing the following year in a Beechcraft Bonanza plane at Nebraska’s Lincoln Airport. The actor was 52 when he began taking flying lessons, and over the years he has amassed an impressive aviation collection, which he keeps at California’s Santa Monica Airport. Discussing his hobby in 2010, he said: ‘I’m so passionate about flying, I often fly up the coast for a cheeseburger.
‘Flying is like good music: it elevates the spirit and it’s an exhilarating freedom. It’s not a thrill thing or an adrenaline rush; it’s engaging in a process that takes focus and commitment.’
Among Ford’s planes are a Citation Sovereign, a turboprop aircraft capable of operating on unimproved airstrips, and a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver single engine bush plane. He also has a Bell 407 helicopter.