Harrison Ford under investigation after near-miss with passenger plane: reports

Star Wars actor Harrison Ford is under investigation by aviation authorities after he was involved in a "potentially serious" incident while flying his private plane, according to reports.

Ford, who has had decades of flying experience, mistakenly landed his single engine Husky on a taxiway instead of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, on Monday, NBC News reports.

According to the report, as Ford's plane came in for the landing it passed over the top of an American Airlines 737 carrying 110 passengers and a six-person crew.

Air traffic control recordings reportedly captured Ford saying: "was that airliner meant to be underneath me?"

The near-miss has sparked an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, which could result in a warning or even a suspension of Ford's pilot licence.

The FAA told NBC News that Ford had been given clear instructions to land at the proper runway.

“Air traffic controllers cleared the pilot of a single-engine Aviat Husky to land on Runway 20L at John Wayne Airport Monday afternoon," the FAA said in a statement.

"The pilot correctly read back the clearance. The pilot then landed on a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, overflying a Boeing 737 that was holding short of the runway. The FAA is investigating this incident.”

Ford, a renowned aviation enthusiast who collects vintage aircraft, has had close calls while flying his planes before.

In 2015 he suffered a broken arm and minor head injuries when he was forced to make an emergency landing on a Santa Monica golf course in a World War II-era airplane.