Harrison Ford ran into trouble again while flying his plane, this time after mishearing instructions during landing.
The Star Wars actor was told to hold short of the runway at Hawthorne Airport in California last Friday because another aircraft was practicing touch-and-go landings there, but he still crossed and taxied to the other end, much to the alarm of the tower operator.
After landing in the airport, audio obtained by TMZ revealed the tower operator told the 77-year-old star: ‘Can you hold short on runway. Traffic on the runway.’
Trouble on the ground: Harrison Ford ran into trouble after mishearing instructions when landing his plane. The Star Wars actor was told to hold short of the runway at Hawthorne Airport in California last Friday. Seen in February
A mistake: Another aircraft was practicing touch-and-go landings there, but he still crossed and taxied to the other end, much to the alarm of the tower operator. Seen in 2010
However, Ford accelerated onto the runway and began crossing, with the operator angrily saying the veteran pilot had ignored his instructions.
Ford profusely apologized and said he thought he was told he had been cleared to cross the runway.
There was no danger of the aircraft crashing because the other plane was 3,600 feet away from Ford’s when it hit the runway and was up in the air again long before reaching the area where the actor was.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into the incident.
A spokesperson for the actor said: ‘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.’
The crash: Five years ago, Harrison broke his pelvis and ankle when his aircraft suffered engine failure and made an emergency landing in March 2015, but he later insisted it wouldn’t put him off flying
The Blade Runner actor was getting his pilot’s license updated so he could take part in more relief efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The incident comes five years after Ford broke his pelvis and ankle when his Wolrld-War II-era aircraft suffered engine failure and made an emergency landing on a Santa Monica golf course in March 2015.
But Ford was praised for keeping his cool and managing to glide his airplane into the crash landing. Moments before the crash, in audio of his conversation with air traffic control, an unemotional Ford was heard asking for an emergency landing because his engine had failed.
Ford later insisted his brush with death wouldn’t keep him away from the cockpit.
He said: ‘It was one time – and I didn’t crash, the plane crashed. I didn’t get right out of it, but I’m fine now, it took a while.’
Asked if it had put him off flying, he added: ‘No, it’s a big part of who I am.’
In February 2017, Ford mistakenly landed on the taxiway at John Wayne Airport, narrowly missing a Boeing 737 full of passengers. He immediately acknowledged his error, saying on the radio, ‘I’m the schmuck.’
According to an Aviation Magazine article published in 2010, Ford’s fascination with planes dates back to the 1960s, when he took some flying lessons in Wisconsin.
Ford rediscovered his passion for aviation three decades later, when he was in his early 50s. He has held a pilot’s certificate for more than 20 years and has logged thousands of hours in the air.
In 1999, Ford crash-landed a Bell 206 JetRanger helicopter in a dry riverbed in suburban Los Angeles, and was forced to perform an emergency landing the following year in a Beechcraft Bonanza at Nebraska’s Lincoln Municipal Airport.
Meanwhile, he is ready to put his Indiana Jones hat back on.
The veteran actor leaked new details about the forthcoming fifth sequel while sitting down with Ellen DeGeneres in February.
Ford revealed that the movie is definitely in the works.
After Ellen asked about the movie, the Star Wars actor replied with a tricky double negative.
‘I can deny that it’s NOT happening,’ he smiled, letting several seconds pass before audiences finally caught on and erupted into applause.
He will be filming another Indiana Jones movie soon
Harrison also revealed that the saga will begin filming again this summer, but those plans must have changed now that COVID-19 has slowed Hollywood.
Ford said he was still ‘excited to play Indie, 39 years after originally playing the adventurous archaeologist.
‘It’s gonna be fun,’ he told Ellen ‘I am excited. They’re great fun to make.’
Indiana Jones won over audiences with 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark – largely considered one of the best films in the action-adventure genre.
It was followed up by the equally beloved prequel Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom in 1984, and then later the sequel Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade in 1989.
Indie got the reboot treatment once more in 2008 with Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, which was slammed by fans and critics.