SANTA MONICA—Academy Award-winning actor Harrison Ford was injured when his two-seater plane crashed in Penmar Golf Club in Venice on Thursday, March 5.
At 2:25 p.m., shortly after takeoff from Santa Monica Airport, Ford reportedly experienced engine failure. He requested an immediate return, but failed to reach the runway, crash-landing on the 8th tee of the golf course, which is located just beyond the western end of the airport.
Ford’s publicist Ina Treciokas said in a statement, “Harrison was flying a WW2 vintage plane today which had engine trouble upon take off. He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely.”
“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,” she said.
Ben Ford, Harrion’s son, tweeted from the hospital, “Dad is ok. Battered, but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man.”
According to a statement from the Los Angeles Fire Department, doctors who were playing golf on the course assisted Ford from the wreckage.
The aircraft, a vintage Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, was used as a fighter plane in World War II by United States Army Air Forces.
Aerial footage showed Ford being wheeled by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics away from the wreckage. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were also on the scene investigating the cause of the crash.
Ford, described as an ‘experienced’ pilot by the NTSB, has been a licensed pilot since at least 2002, according to FAA records.
