Harrison Ford in Near Miss With Passenger Plane at LA Airport

It might be time to let Chewie drive...


"Actor Harrison Ford was involved in a potentially serious incident on Monday as he was piloting his private plane, a single engine Husky, NBC News has learned.

Ford, an experienced pilot who collects vintage planes, had been instructed to land on runway 20-L at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California but
mistakenly aimed for a taxiway instead. His plane passed over the top of an American Airlines 737 loaded with 110 passengers and a six-person crew.

The passenger plane, AA flight 1546, managed to depart safely for Dallas just minutes after the incident.
Ford, 74, was captured on air traffic control recordings asking, "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?"

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/harrison-ford-has-incident-passenger-plane-airport-n720826

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4225082/Harrison-Ford-74-nearly-crashes-plane-AGAIN.html


Also the tires on your plane are comically large.

I see fines and a flight physical in his future.

Chewie get us out of here!

Wasn't he also in some incident a year or two ago?

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=19790.msg365189#msg365189

Wasn't he also in some incident a year or two ago?

That was an engine failure, not a perceptual error.

Fly casual.

Perhaps he was trying to keep his distance from that airliner but not LOOK like he was keeping his distance?

Maybe he thought he could hide on the side of the airliner until they dumped their garbage.

Fly casual.

Perhaps he was trying to keep his distance from that airliner but not LOOK like he was keeping his distance?

^^^ This right here is the real answer.

Also the tires on your plane are comically large.

I'm starting to see a pattern between you and airplane tires...perhaps they should be a color other than black? 

^ Seriously.

^ Seriously.

Meant to add " " to the last post. Done now.

Let he (or she) who is totally blameless and innocent of ever a momentary lapse of attention cast stones.  I'm pretty sure some forum members know of one or more of CAP pilots who thoroughly screwed up (without witnesses who were willing to take it to the front page of national media).  IMHO, this is a 'teachable moment', not a rationale for pile on.  HF will likely have some conversations with the FAA, as he should.  And the lesson from his momentary inattention is...?

Also the tires on your plane are comically large.

I'm starting to see a pattern between you and airplane tires...perhaps they should be a color other than black? 

Those are the standard "Tundra Tires" that this aircraft normally has. Nothing funny about them.
Unless you don't know what you're talking about.....

Knowing what they are doesn't make then not comically large.

This is a very thoughtful analysis of HF's mishap.  It might be a good read for those of us who are unfamiliar with that airport, or other recent incidents of a similar nature involving multi-pilot crewed transport category aircraft who mistook a taxiway for the runway at other airports.

http://www.mastery-flight-training.com/20170216-flying-lessons.pdf

Several useful and insightful observations are offered by this highly regarded Master CFII.

Yeah, Mr Ford is going to be having a not so fun discussion over at the FSDO.
If he's lucky it will only be a 90 or 180 day suspension.

Fly casual.

Perhaps he was trying to keep his distance from that airliner but not LOOK like he was keeping his distance?

I lol'ed.

Let he (or she) who is totally blameless and innocent of ever a momentary lapse of attention cast stones.  I'm pretty sure some forum members know of one or more of CAP pilots who thoroughly screwed up (without witnesses who were willing to take it to the front page of national media).  IMHO, this is a 'teachable moment', not a rationale for pile on.  HF will likely have some conversations with the FAA, as he should.  And the lesson from his momentary inattention is...?

You seem to be only one on here with the voice of reason.  I would echo your comments in this sense.  Mistakes happen and its not that there have not been our pilots who have not had their fair share of aviation incidents and mishaps.  We don't know all of the factors.  Like the article you posted we have no idea if of the causal factors.  Poor visibility and the runway losing contrast it is real easy to see where if the taxiway sticks out enough one could inadvertently line up with it.  At my main airport there are times when the taxi actually sticks out more than one of our main runways.  I always try to back up a visual with a precision approach if available.  This aircraft probably has no ILS.  Based off of the information the only thing I see him doing wrong was not initiating go around when there was an aircraft on what he would have perceived to be protruding on the active runway.  Of course where was the tower?  They did not happen notice an aircraft approaching the taxiway vs the runway? 

There are lot things people take for granted in human factors and flying.  We are creatures of habit, we know what we know.  Its things like this that affect maybe the fact that this airport with a lacking visible markings that make the runway discernible.  So yeah there are several factors and since none of us were there we can't really armchair quarterback this completely until there is more information.  As responsible aviators we should do what you said and take these as a learning point so we do not end up doing the same some day.

A lot of outlets have posted this video of Ford's oops:

Not quite the "scare" that a lot of media outlets are continuing to report, but definitely a mistake for the veteran pilot.