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Harrison Ford Under FAA Investigation For Piloting Incident Last Week
Harrison Ford is under FAA investigation for a piloting incident that occurred last week. At age 77, Ford has had the kind of career actors dream of. Starring in some of cinema’s biggest blockbusters, including Indiana Jones, the actor has found consistent work since his 1967 big screen debut. Most recently, Ford has been preparing for his return to the role of Indiana Jones in the fifth installment of the venerable action-adventure series. The new film was set to begin production in early 2020, with Ford previously going on record to say the new Indiana Jones film would kick off production at some point in April.
Unfortunately, no one could have predicted the spread of the coronavirus, which has led to major delays and cancellations in Hollywood and just about everywhere else. Without acting to occupy his time, Ford has recently turned to his other passion – flying airplanes. The Star Wars star has been an active pilot since the 1990s and has even put his skills to great use, having once flown a helicopter to rescue a hiker overcome by dehydration. Yet despite Ford’s lengthy history of successful flights, even a major Hollywood star can’t always avoid piloting mistakes that elicit criticism or outright legal issues.
According to CNN, Ford is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for an incident that occurred last week at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles. While waiting to cross a runway in his Aviat Husky, Ford reportedly misheard instructions that asked him to wait, as another aircraft was performing a touch-and-go landing. He proceeded to drive his aircraft across the runway anyway, and the matter is now being investigated. A representative for Ford has stated that “there was never any danger of a collision” as a result of the actor’s actions, and a spokesperson for the FAA has confirmed that the two planes were “approximately 3600 feet apart at the time.” Said Ford’s representative on the matter:
Quote:
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 in the aircraft. No one was injured and there was never any danger of a collision.
It remains to be seen if the FAA will agree with Ford’s representative on the issue of whether or not there was ever any danger of a collision. Thirty-six hundred feet is certainly a substantial distance, but FAA safety regulations may view the matter in a different light altogether. As a matter of fact, Ford has a history of incidents when it comes to flying, having crashed a helicopter in 1999, made an emergency landing in which he broke his pelvis and ankle in 2015, and overflown a Boeing 737 on a runway in 2017. At present, this latest matter doesn’t seem to be as serious as any of his past mishaps, but a complete analysis of the recent situation has yet to be revealed.
There does seem to be numerous indications that Harrison Ford’s time as a pilot might be in need of review. Though this most recent incident does sound like it was nothing more than a case of miscommunication, there is a big difference between being told not to do something and misinterpreting those instructions as being given the all clear. Piloting an aircraft is a serious responsibility, and so far, Ford appears to have taken far too many risks during his time as an aviation enthusiast. The star’s spotty track record could be seen as a warning that it just might be time to stay grounded.
