1067 implicit coercion of a value of type Array

programming flash
1

This error keeps appearing:

“1067 implicit coercion of a value of type Array to an unrelated type flash.display.DisplayObject”

When I added code to test for hits between the array “ships” and the movieclip “city1”

the error is originating from my document class line 128:
if (city1.hitTestObject(ships))

any help will be greatly appreciated thanks in advance
code:
package
{

import flash.display.MovieClip;
import flash.events.Event;
import flash.ui.Mouse;




public class Level extends MovieClip
{


    var ships:Array;
    var bullets:Array;
    public var avatar:Avatar;
    private var score:Number;
    public var cash:Number;
    public var city1:City1;
    var health:int;










    public function Level()
    {






        health:10;






















        avatar = new Avatar();
        addChild( avatar );


        avatar.x = mouseX;
        avatar.y = mouseY;


        score = 0;
        cash = 0;






        //addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);
        ships = new Array  ;
        bullets = new Array  ;


        addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, update);






    }








    function update(e:Event)
    {
        avatar.x = mouseX;
        avatar.y = mouseY;
        Mouse.hide();


        output.text = "Score:   " + score;
        output2.text = "Cash: $ " + cash;


        






        if (numChildren<10)
        {




            var s = new Ship();


            addChild(s);




            s.x = Math.random() * stage.stageWidth;
            s.y = -120;
            //s.rotation = Math.random() * 360;
            ships.push(s);






        }




        for (var b = ships.length - 1; b >= 0; b--)
        {
            ships**.update();
            if (ships**.x < 0 || ships**.x > 500 || ships**.y > 500)
            {
                this.removeChild(ships**);
                ships.splice(b, 1);
            }




            for (var i = bullets.length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
            {
                bullets*.update();
                if (bullets*.parent == null)
                {
                    bullets.splice(i, 1);
                    i--;
                }
            }




            for (var count = 0; count<ships.length; count++)
            {
                ships[count].update();
                for (i=0; i<bullets.length; i++)
                {
                    if (ships[count].hitTestObject(bullets*))
                    {
                        if (ships[count].x < -50 || ships[count].x > 550 || ships[count].y > 700)
                        {if (ships!=null)
        {
            if (city1.hitTestObject(ships))
            {
                trace("hit");
            


                            removeChild(ships[count]);
                            ships.splice(count, 1);

}
}
}

                        removeChild(bullets*);
                        bullets.splice(i,1);
                        removeChild(ships[count]);
                        ships.splice(count, 1);


                        //trace(score);
                        score +=  10;//*level;
                        //trace(score);
                        cash +=  5;//*level;








                        //if (ships[count].hitTestObject(turret))
                        //{
                        //
                        //
                        //removeChild(ships[count]);
                        //ships.splice(count, 1);
                        //
                        //
                        //}


                    }


                }


            }
        }
    }
}

}