Han Solo may have made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs, but he was young and on top of his piloting game when he did it. It also helps that the Star Wars universe is fictional. In real life, however, Harrison Ford does have a pilot’s license, but he’s nowhere near as good as his character at making things fly. The actor was recently involved in a rather scary landing incident, and there’s video of the unexpected stunt.
Ford mistakenly landed his private plane on a taxiway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, a few days ago, instead of the runway he was supposed to head to. In the process, he flew dangerously close to an American Airlines jetliner that had 110 passengers on board and was taxiing towards its own runway.
“Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?” Ford asked air traffic control, according to recorders. At that point, the actor was informed that he landed on a taxiway.
The Star Wars veteran was heard fumbling communication with the tower in the minutes leading up to the botched landing. People reports. He apparently told the tower he was flying a helicopter not a single-engine plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the matter, People explains, and experts say that Ford might lose his pilot’s license.
The video shows Ford’s landing run from various angles. You can see him approaching what he thought it’s the designated runway, with the airliner inching slowly under him. Luckily, nobody was hurt in the process — well, not counting Ford’s ego and maybe his pilot license. Check out the entire incident in the following clip.
