LOS ANGELES — Harrison Ford crash-landed his vintage plane Thursday after losing engine power, suffering serious but not life-threatening injuries after using his extensive piloting skills to bring down the plane on a golf course and avoid nearby homes.
It was the latest and most serious in a series of crashes and close calls for the 72-year-old actor. He was helped by golfers who saw the plane come down about a quarter-mile short of the runway at Santa Monica Municipal Airport and was taken to a hospital conscious and breathing.
Fire officials would not confirm the pilot’s identity. An e-mail from interim Santa Monica City Manager Elaine Polachek sent to city officials said the plane was flown by Ford.
According to the e-mail, Ford was about a half-mile west of the airport and flying at 3,000 feet when he told air-traffic controllers that his engine failed. Ford’s plane “apparently hit a tree on the way down,” and in addition to a cut forehead, Ford might have broken his leg, the e-mail said.
The plane, a yellow 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR with stars on its wings, was upright and mostly intact after the crash. No one on the ground was hurt.
