FAA Clears Star Wars' Harrison Ford in Runway Incident

Harrison Ford, famous for playing pilot Han Solo in the Star Wars series, will get to return to [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Harrison Ford, famous for playing pilot Han Solo in the Star Wars series, will get to return to the skies after being cleared by the FAA following an incident from earlier this year when he crossed a runway with his small plane while another plane was preparing to take off at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles. The event occurred on April 24th, with the actor immediately issuing a statement admitting fault in the incident, with the FAA noting that Ford had to take a piloting course in the wake of the incident. Luckily, no one was injured in the incident.

"The FAA has closed the case involving the pilot who crossed a Hawthorne Municipal Airport runway without authorization on April 24, 2020. The FAA required the pilot to take a remedial runway incursion training course. When the pilot successfully completed the course, the FAA closed the case with no additional action," the FAA shared in a statement with The Hollywood Reporter.

When the incident occurred, Ford claimed to have misheard a radio transmission which resulted in the miscommunication.

"Mr. Ford crossed the airport's only runway in his aircraft after he misheard a radio instruction from ATC," Ford's statement read. "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."

Ford might be more known for his acting career, but his interest in being a pilot dates back to the '60s. This is only the latest aviation incident for Ford, with the actor having been involved in a number of close calls in recent years.

Back in 2015, Ford was flying in his plane when it experienced engine failure, forcing him to make an emergency landing at a golf course, with Ford suffering a broken pelvis and broken ankle.

"I remember some of it. I remember the engine stopping," Ford recalled of the incident on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "I remember that part very well ... and that's the last thing I remember 'til five days afterwards, actually. I was told by the doctors that the amount of general anesthetics that I got induced a retrograde amnesia."

In 2017, Ford mistakenly landed John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, flying over an American Airlines Boeing 737.

Are you glad the actor was cleared? Let us know in the comments below!

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