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Harrison Ford’s Plane Crash Wasn’t a Crash, and He Will Make Full Recovery

Actor had to emergency-land the vintage aircraft after engine malfunction, says VP of Santa Monica Airport Association

Mar 6, 2015 08:14 GMT  ·  By
Harrison Ford's vintage plane after emergency landing on golf course in LA
   Harrison Ford's vintage plane after emergency landing on golf course in LA

Actor Harrison Ford, 72, is now in hospital after suffering severe but non-life threatening injuries in what has been described as a plane crash that occurred some hours ago in Los Angeles. There was no crash to speak of, new details indicate: what happened in reality was that the star tried to emergency-land his aircraft after experiencing engine malfunctions.

Christian Fry, vice president of the Santa Monica Airport Association, tells People Magazine that the “crash” was actually a beautifully executed emergency landing. Ford is a very experienced pilot who has been in similar situations, and he managed to land the plane without harming anyone even though he was flying over a very populated area of LA.

Engine trouble during takeoff

Ford had taken off the Santa Monica Airport, and shortly afterwards, landed on the Penmar Golf Course, after trying maneuvers to get back to the airport. From eyewitness accounts, he noticed that he was having engine trouble (apparently, it was “sputtering”) moments after taking off, and he was trying to get back to the airport.

When he realized that he wouldn’t be able to do that, he decided to land the aircraft on the golf course.

“It's not a crash,” Fry stresses. “It appears that they had some sort of engine trouble during takeoff, which happens from time to time with airplane, but when that occurs, the beauty of Santa Monica Airport is we have the golf course, which runs parallel to our main runway. So, engine trouble, he appeared to have made a turn back towards the airport and didn't have enough speed to make it to the runway, so he made a beautifully executed forced landing here at the golf course, so really just a great job by a very well-trained pilot.”

Testament to his skill as a pilot is also the fact that no one else was injured.

Ford will make a full recovery

Paramedics and by-standers at the scene report that Ford was injured pretty badly, and that he had blood all over his face and a nasty looking injury on his leg. The NBC News video report below even claims that he was so badly hurt in the face that he was barely recognizable.

We know from Ford’s son and spokespeople for the authorities that all injuries sustained are not life-threatening.

Moreover, a publicist for the star tells TMZ that he is expected to make a full recovery. Ford is nothing if not a tough guy, so fans have nothing to worry about.