Harrison Ford Under FAA Investigation After Airplane Runway Incident

When HOLD SHORT sounds like CLEARED TO CROSS THE ACTIVE.

There comes a time for ALL good airmen to evaluate the impact senescence is
making on their cognition and thus, their flying skills ...

The alterative is leaving a legacy of death and destruction, not to mention
the grief and sorrow forever carried in the memories of family and friends,
when it could have been entertainment superstar upon whom time bestowed
sagacity and wisdom. The choice is ours.

Perhaps, cultivating a CFI friend to accompany the aging PIC while aloft
would allow him to continue to navigate in the third dimension safely. It
might even be more fun with a friend along to share the experience.


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https://variety.com/2020/film/news/h...nt-1234593715/

Harrison Ford Under FAA Investigation After Airplane Runway Incident

Harrison Ford
Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock

Harrison Ford is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration
after an incident that occurred on a runway at Los Angeles’ Hawthorne
Municipal Airport on April 24.

The FAA said in a statement to Variety that the 77-year-old actor was
piloting an airplane that crossed the runway as another plane tried to land,
putting the aircrafts only 3,600 feet apart.

“The FAA is investigating an incident in which the pilot of an Aviat Husky
taxied across the runway at Hawthorne Municipal Airport Friday afternoon
while another aircraft was performing a touch-and-go landing,” a
spokesperson for the FAA said.

In a statement to Variety, a representative for Ford explained that the
incident was due to a miscommunication from Air Traffic Control and that
there was little danger involved.

“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 rep said. “The purpose of the flight
was to maintain currency and proficiency in the aircraft. No one was injured
and there was never any danger of a collision.”

In an audio clip from the air traffic control provided by the FAA, Ford can
be heard misunderstanding the instruction and then apologizing.

“I told you to hold short. You need to listen up,” the air traffic control
said to Ford after he began crossing the runway.

“Excuse me, sir, I thought exactly the opposite. I’m terribly sorry,” Ford
responded.

Ford made headlines in 2017 for a similar incident at John Wayne Airport in
Santa Ana, Calif., in which his Aviat Husky nearly collided with a
100-passenger Boeing 737 and proceeded to land on the wrong part of the
tarmac. Ford was investigated by the FAA, but allowed to continue to fly
without restriction, provided that he completed an awareness training, which
he did.

In 2015, Ford made an emergency landing on Santa Monica’s Penmar Golf Course
after his two-seater WWII military aircraft had a carburetor issue. Ford
sustained several injuries, including a broken pelvis and ankle.
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8 Comments
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in
whole or in part in Variety publications.

Gavin Ward (pilot)
May 1, 2020 at 8:07 am

While its difficult to to see any ambiguity in the text shown here, that
may not accurately reflect the original ATC instruction – which must use
very specific phraseology (as it forms a legal contract between ATC & the
pilot).
Before drawing a conclusion it would be instructive to hear/read the
actual ATC instruction instead of just the post-incident exchange .



Damon
April 30, 2020 at 5:09 am

What did Harrison Ford think he was told? The “opposite”? Is “hold
short” ambiguous? Indiana Jones is going senile.



mattr40
April 30, 2020 at 4:55 am

It’s time for him to stop flying before he really hurts someone but I
doubt he will listen SMH




Tony
April 30, 2020 at 3:17 am

Tower: “I told you to hold short, you need to listen up”

Ford: ““Excuse me, sir, I thought exactly the opposite. I’m terribly
sorry,”

Ford: “was due to a miscommunication from Air Traffic Control ”

Uh, sorry that sounds exactly like he’s ‘still’ not listening and
putting blame elsewhere.
That’s very irresponsible. I’ve taken copters out from there and there’s
not much room out there for mistakes and to ‘not listen up’.

With this and the other instances, there’s got to be a ‘close review’ of
his cognitive skills and abilities. You can only ‘mess up once’.
I hope ‘he’ reconsiders or goes to an airfield in an area far less
populated.




dont really
April 30, 2020 at 1:00 am

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this”
Reply Report comment
Nomemo
April 29, 2020 at 7:25 pm

Can you spell S E N I L E??
Is not the first time.
Reply Report comment
Sammynews
April 29, 2020 at 6:29 pm

It’s time Calista to take the keys away.




billo
April 29, 2020 at 7:06 pm

uh, you must be one of those who think the woman holds the power.
harrison ford knows better.