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Author Topic: N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion  (Read 5120 times)

Offline Fryy/Avocadoflight

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N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion
« on: April 30, 2020, 04:42:13 AM »
This happened earlier this week at KHHR - Hawthorne, CA.



Offline smark220

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Re: N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2020, 11:12:37 AM »
Ford claims that he misunderstood instructions, but wasn't his read back correct?

Ignoring his mistake, his communications don't sound confident at all. Maybe it's time to have a talk with him and suggest that he resort to only fly with an instructor from now on. If he doesn't agree, just revoke his license.

Offline Rick108

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Re: N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2020, 12:56:22 PM »
His first readback WAS correct:

ATC: Husky 9 hotel uniform, hold short runway 25 ... at Hotel.
Ford:  Hold short of 25 at Hotel for 89HU
Ford:  89HU holding short at Hotel


So far, so good.  The next thing a pilot would normally expect to hear would a clearance to cross the runway, so expectation bias probably played a role here:

ATC: 9HU continue hold short of runway 25, traffic on the runway. (beginning of this is a tad garbled)
Ford: crossing 25, 89HU
ATC: 9HU get across that runway now. I told you to hold short. You need to listen up.
Ford: Excuse me, sir, I thought exactly the opposite.  I'm sorry.


Pure speculation on my part, but it's possible 9HU was still moving up to the hold-short line when he called and said he was holding short.  Tower started the next transmission with the word "continue", and so he did exactly what he was expecting to do - continue across the runway - and his readback confirmed that.  I suspect there will be some debate about the wisdom of starting a hold-short instruction with the word "continue", but that will be left to the FAA and others to hash out.  He did say "traffic on the runway" so that should have been a clue to stay put. 

Offline smark220

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Re: N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2020, 01:03:29 PM »
Rick108, yours is a good analysis. I still think Ford's "situational awareness" is suspect.

Offline Fryy/Avocadoflight

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Re: N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2020, 02:31:31 PM »

ATC: 9HU continue hold short of runway 25, traffic on the runway. (beginning of this is a tad garbled)


I may be wrong but I hear CAN you hold short of 25.., not continue.

Either way, none of that is proper phraseology right? If ATC wanted to be clear, he could of said hold short 25, not can or continue.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2020, 02:40:36 PM by Fryy »

Offline Rick108

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Re: N89HU KHHR (Harrison Ford) Runway Incursion
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2020, 02:54:39 PM »
ATC: 9HU continue hold short of runway 25, traffic on the runway. (beginning of this is a tad garbled)

I may be wrong but I hear CAN you hold short of 25.., not continue.

Either way, none of that is proper phraseology right? If ATC wanted to be clear, he could of said hold short 25, not can or continue.
Yeah, it isn't clear for sure.  Although I can't imagine why the controller would be ASKING if he CAN hold short when there is already another aircraft on the runway!!!  That feels like a good place for an assertive command instead of a question...  :-o