Entertainment

I'm a schmuck, 'distracted' Harrison Ford told tower after plane blunder

The Indiana Jones star narrowly avoided a passenger plane carrying 116 people,
The Indiana Jones star narrowly avoided a passenger plane carrying 116 people,

Actor Harrison Ford called himself a “schmuck” and said he was “distracted” when he mistakenly landed his private plane on an airport taxiway, an audio recording has revealed.

The star of Indiana Jones and Star Wars narrowly avoided a passenger plane carrying 116 people on board during the mishap at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

“I’m the schmuck that landed on the taxiway,” Harrison told an air traffic controller after the incident on February 13.

“I was distracted by the airline which was in movement when I turned to the runway and also the big turbulence by the landing Airbus.”

Harrison Ford was injured on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII
Harrison Ford (Ian West/PA Wire)

The air traffic controller is heard telling Harrison, 74, to take his time finding his pilot’s licence, adding that it is “no big deal”.

“It’s a big deal for me,” Harrison replied.

The audio recording was released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is investigating the incident.

Landing on a taxiway instead of a runway is a breach of FAA regulations.

Star Wars star Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (Anthony Devlin/PA)

A video released last month showed Harrison’s Aviat Husky plane as it descended towards the airfield where an American Airlines Boeing 737 was slowly taxiing.

“Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?” Ford asked the air traffic control tower as he landed in the wrong spot.

“Oh. I landed on Taxiway Charlie. I understand now. Sorry for that,” he added.

Harrison had a serious accident in March 2015 when his private plane crashed on a Los Angeles golf course after engine failure.