H. Ford injured when his plane crashes on golf course
Actor Harrison Ford was injured Thursday when his vintage airplane experienced engine trouble and crash-landed on a Venice golf course — an accident that could well spur efforts to close Santa Monica Airport.
Ford, 72, an experienced pilot and owner of several aircraft, plowed the yellow-and-silver plane into a fairway at Penmar golf course about 2:25 p.m., shortly after takeoff. According to air traffic control recordings, he reported an engine failure to the Santa Monica tower and had been cleared to return.
Authorities said Ford managed to fly over Penmar, which is on the airport's departure route and provides a swath of open space for pilots to use in emergencies.
He was flying solo in a restored Ryan PT-22 Recruit, a sleek two-place monoplane built during World War II to train Army Air Forces pilots. Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane is registered to MG Aviation Inc., a Delaware company.
Los Angeles firefighters said Ford, best known for his roles in the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movies, was conscious when they arrived. He was outside the plane being tended by several bystanders.
Paramedics treated Ford at the scene and he remained hospitalized Thursday night. At an afternoon news conference, Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Butler said Ford was alert and had suffered moderate trauma.
"Normally, the outcomes are fatalities, so we are very thankful," Butler said.
Ina Treciokas, Ford's publicist, said in a prepared statement that the actor was banged up, but his injuries were not life-threatening. He is expected to make a full recovery, she said. Some of his injuries have been described as bumps, bruises and cuts.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will investigate the crash and determine its cause.
At the time of Thursday's crash, Ford had only recently recovered from a broken left leg he suffered in June while filming "Star Wars: Episode VII." The injury required him to have surgery and go through rehab, causing a two-week hiatus in filming.
On screen, the actor has often starred in stunt-heavy adventure films — the "Indiana Jones" franchise, "Blade Runner" and "Air Force One." When he played a pilot in "Six Days/Seven Nights," he flew as part of the role after meeting requirements set out by the FAA and the film's insurance company.
But he's never been afraid of taking risks off-set, either. He's long held a passion for both motorcycles and airplanes, telling Playboy in 2002 that he loves the "combination of freedom and responsibility" that flying gives him.
"It's anonymity," he said. "I'm not Harrison Ford, I'm November 1128 Sierra."
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