Harrison Ford, 72, had a close call yesterday afternoon when the engine on his WWII-era plane failed shortly after takeoff from Santa Monica airport. Ford did not have enough power to return to the airport and he requested permission to make an emergency landing at Penmar Golf Course, which runs parallel to the airport. He then guided the failing vintage plane to the green, slightly clipping a tree but avoiding so many other trees, to make an emergency crash landing on the 8th hole. Onlookers rushed to help him, including a surgeon and another doctor who were on the golf course. Ford was bleeding from head wounds when he was taken to hospital. His condition has since been upgraded from critical to stable. Ford’s son Ben tweeted that his dad is “battered but ok,” and Ford’s rep said that he should make a full recovery. Many pilots and aviation experts have commented that Ford, who has been flying for nearly 50 years, handled the crisis expertly and by the book.

I’m going to quote US Magazine here because they do a good job of summing up this scary situation. The Daily Mail has a more comprehensive overview and People has additional quotes from experts and onlookers.

Harrison Ford was piloting a small vintage yellow fighter plane in Venice, Calif., on Thursday, Mar. 5, when he had to unexpectedly crash-land on a golf course, TMZ reports.

Ford, 72, has reportedly suffered multiple gashes to his head and was seen bleeding on the scene. Two doctors treated him on the golf course before emergency personnel arrived.

The Los Angeles Fire Department tells Us Weekly that the plane landed on Penmar Golf Course before 2:30 p.m, and the individual involved had multiple lacerations. NBC reports that the crash occurred shortly after takeoff and no one else was injured. The pilot was “alert and conscious” before being taken to a nearby hospital. Authorities say he is now in fair to moderate condition.

Harrison Ford’s rep tells Us Weekly he’s expected to make a full recovery. “Harrison was flying a WW2 vintage plane today which stalled upon take off. He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely,” his rep explains in a statement to Us. “He was banged up and is in the hospital receiving medical care. The injuries sustained are not life threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery.”

During a live press conference, National Transportation Safety Board officials said that Harrison, who they didn’t identify by name, reported loss of engine power and appeared to have clipped the top of a tree and came to rest on the golf course. NTSB also said they “believe he is going to survive.”

[From US Magazine]

Thank goodness he’s ok. When you see photos of that crumpled plane it’s a wonder he is doing so well. That is likely due to his decades of experience and training. The Daily Mail has a photo of Ford in that same vintage plane in September 2013. It’s described as a “Ryan PT-22 two-place open cockpit trainer” and was used to train pilots during WWII. I learned from Unbroken that training to be a pilot in WWII was just as dangerous as actually piloting in the war, and that was usually due to how unreliable and buggy the planes were. (Although Hillenbrand was referring to the bomber planes.)

We’re thinking of Ford and hoping he’ll recover soon after his close call.

Here’s a photo of Ford in his vintage 1955 Jaguar in 2013.

photo credit: FameFlynet