Actor Harrison Ford was piloting a private plane that barely missed a passenger jet and mistakenly landed on a taxiway Monday in California, sparking an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, NBC News reported Tuesday.
Mr. Ford was piloting his single engine Husky when he was instructed by air traffic controllers to land on a specific runway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, NBC reported.
The 74-year-old “Indiana Jones” star reportedly aimed for a taxiway instead and passed over the top of a taxiing American Airlines plane carrying 110 passengers.
NBC said Mr. Ford was heard in air traffic control recordings asking, “Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?”
Air traffic controllers then informed Mr. Ford that he had landed on a taxiway rather than the runway, which is a violation of FAA rules, NBC reported.
The passenger plane, AA flight 1546, took off just minutes later without incident.
NBC said the FAA’s investigation could result in anything from a simple warning letter to a suspension of Mr. Ford’s pilot’s license.
This isn’t the first time Mr. Ford, who has been honored multiple times for his involvement in general aviation, has experienced trouble in the air.
In March 2015 he made an emergency landing on the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California, after experiencing engine failure. He also crash-landed a helicopter in 1999 during a routine training flight near Santa Clarita, California.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.