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FAA Clears Harrison Ford In Hawthorne Runway Mishap

HAWTHORNE (CBSLA) – Actor Harrison Ford has been cleared following an investigation into a piloting incident which occurred Hawthorne Municipal Airport in April.

Premiere Of 20th Century Studios' "The Call Of The Wild" - Arrivals
Harrison Ford attends the Premiere of 20th Century Studios' "The Call of the Wild" at El Capitan Theatre on February 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

The Federal Aviation Administration has closed the case after requiring that the 78-year-old Ford take a "remedial runway incursion training course," an FAA spokesperson told CBSLA in a statement Thursday.

On the afternoon of April 24, the "Indiana Jones" star was landing a small plane known as an Aviat Husky when he crossed an airplane that was on the runway despite a tower operator telling him to hold short due to traffic.

Ford landed on the western end of the runway while another pilot, who was conducting touch-and-go landings, was taking off about 3,600 feet east, an FAA official said at the time.

According to audio of the exchange, Ford said he was "terribly sorry," for the misunderstanding.

Ford has had several close calls in his piloting career. Back on Feb. 13, 2017, at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Ford mistakenly flew low over an airliner with 110 people aboard while it was taxiing on a runway.

Ford was supposed to have landed on a runway that runs parallel to the taxiway.

After an investigation, the FAA declined to punish Ford.

In March of 2015, Ford was injured when his World War II-era plane crashed on a golf course alongside the Santa Monica Airport. In 1999, Ford crashed a helicopter during a training session in Ventura County.

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