Harrison Ford Under Investigation After New Evidence Revealed

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed on April 29, 2020, that actor Harrison Ford is under investigation as a result of an aviation error that occurred at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles, Calif., the Associated Press reported. The incident in question took place on April 24, 2020, when the small plane Ford was piloting crossed a runway as another aircraft attempted to land. Ford's rep, who said the Star Wars alum "misheard" radio instructions from air traffic control (ATC) to stay back, said in a statement obtained by CNN, "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." They added, "No one was injured and there was never any danger of a collision."

A spokesperson for the FAA told CNN the two aircraft were approximately 3600 feet apart at the time.

This isn't the first time that Ford, who celebrated his 77th birthday in July 2019, has been involved in an aviation mishap. So as we wait for the FAA to conclude its investigation, let's review every other time the Witness star has faced trouble for his longtime hobby.

Harrison Ford was involved in another aviation snafu in 2017 when he reportedly flew his private aircraft "dangerously close to a taxiing passenger plane after mistakenly landing in a taxiway instead of the runway he was cleared for," according to People. The American Airlines 737 flight, which was carrying 110 passengers and a six-person crew at the time, managed to safely depart John Wayne Airport in California moments after the incident occurred, the outlet noted.

In audio recordings released by the Federal Aviation Authority, Harrison called himself a "schmuck" when speaking to the air controller about the mistake, and said he had been "distracted and concerned about turbulence from another aircraft" when it happened, per USA TODAY.

When the air traffic controller said it was "no big deal," Ford responded, "it's a big deal for me."

The FAA decided Ford would not face disciplinary action for the incident, as his lawyer, Stephen Hofer, confirmed in a statement. "Mr. Ford retains his pilot's certificate without restriction," Hofer said, per Deadline. "In closing the matter, the agency acknowledged Mr.Ford's long history of compliance with the federal aviation regulations and his cooperative attitude during the investigation."

Arguably the scariest incident Harrison Ford endured as a pilot occurred in 2015 when he crashed his Second World War vintage plane (pictured above) during a forced landing on a golf course. "Harrison was flying a WW2 vintage plane today which had engine trouble upon takeoff," Ford's publicist at the time, Ina Treciokas said in a statement, per CNN. "He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely." Treciokas continued, "He was banged up and is in the hospital receiving medical care. The injuries sustained are not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery."

The actor's eldest son, Ben Ford, tweeted about his dad's condition after the incident. "Dad is ok. Battered, but ok!" he wrote (via The Wrap). "He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man."

Considering Ford's plane clipped the top of a tree, it's pretty remarkable he walked away from the crash relatively unscathed.

Harrison Ford has been transparent about his 2017 aviation mistake, telling GQ he found the situation "thoroughly embarrassing." He also took issue with how the event was portrayed in the media, noting that he "didn't fly over" the other plane, and it "wasn't a near-miss." Ford added, "Officially, I admitted to two of the common mental processes that can lead a pilot to making a mistake—distraction and fixation." 

The actor maintained he pulled off a "good landing" despite being "in the wrong place."

As for the backlash he received, Ford admitted he wasn't entirely prepared for it. "I thought that I would suffer the consequences," he said. "I knew I f***ed up. I knew what process I would have to go through. I even knew it would be in the newspapers. I didn't know it would be for weeks."

We're not sure whether Ford will continue to fly after the 2020 incident, although it's obvious he is very passionate about aviation. "Flying is like good music: it elevates the spirit and it's an exhilarating freedom," he told the Daily Mail in 2010. "It's not a thrill thing or an adrenaline rush; it's engaging in a process that takes focus and commitment. I love the machines, I love the aviation community."