Harrison Ford's near miss: video shows moment actor flies over passenger plane

A new video has emerged of Star Wars actor Harrison Ford's close call last week, when he mistakenly flew his small plane too close too a passenger jet in California.

The 45 second video shows the plane, piloted by the 74-year-old Hollywood star, flying low over the airliner with 110 people aboard at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

In the clip, the American Airlines 737 is taxiing slowly. 

Then Ford's yellow, single-engine Aviat Husky suddenly zooms in from the right of the frame, flying low over the airliner and casting its shadow down the middle of the bigger plane before landing on the taxiway.

Actor Harrison Ford
Actor Harrison Ford Credit: Getty Images

Ford was supposed to have landed on a runway that runs parallel to the taxiway. Air traffic controllers had cleared him for a landing on Runway 20L.

Air traffic control recordings captured the Hollywood star asking "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?"

But for the airliner, the taxiway and runway are both wide-open and apparently unmistakable. 

The video then shows the same landing from the back, giving more time to the approach of Ford's plane, but the flyover itself is barely visible.

The shadow of Harrison Ford's plane can be seen on the airliner
The shadow of Harrison Ford's plane can be seen on the airliner Credit: John Wayne Airport

No reason has been given for why Ford made the mistake, and his publicist has not replied to requests for comment.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. The investigation could led to penalties for the pilot ranging from a warning to a suspension of his licence.

American Airlines Flight 1456, with 110 passengers and six crew members aboard, departed safely for Dallas a few minutes later.

Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens Credit: Film Frame/Lucasfilm via AP

Ford collects vintage planes and has a long and good record as an aviator, but he has had several close-calls.

In March 2015 he was seriously injured when his Second World War-era trainer crashed on a Los Angeles golf course when it lost power shortly after takeoff.

Ford was seriously injured in the crash, breaking his arm and suffering memory loss. He was praised for avoiding densely populated areas nearby.

A small plane owned by Harrison Ford is seen after crashing at the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California in 2015 
A small plane owned by Harrison Ford is seen after crashing at the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California in 2015  Credit: AFP

In 1999 he crash-landed his helicopter during a training flight in which he and an instructor were practicing auto rotations in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles. Ford and the instructor were unhurt.

He was flying a Beechcraft Bonanza in 2000 when wind shear forced him to make an emergency landing at Lincoln Municipal Airport in Nebraska.

Ford and his passenger were uninjured when the plane clipped the runway, but its wing tips were damaged, officials said. 

The actor has also flown successful search and rescue missions including helping to find a missing hiker and Boy Scout in Wyoming in 2001.

An award was named in his honour by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

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