Renowned actor Harrison Ford avoided airplane disaster by steering the vintage Second World War aircraft he was flying away from nearby houses. He wasn’t badly injured but will have some bruises to remind him of his accomplishment.
Mr. Ford, 72, took off from Santa Monica Airport and was flying alone. Just moments after taking off, he made a call to air traffic control, saying he encountered an engine failure issue requesting immediate return. His two-seater 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR started to lose altitude just above a residential area in Los Angeles.
A pilot who uses the same airport said he noticed Mr. Ford’s plane flying at a much lower altitude than normal, coming close to the tree line. He added that he didn’t hear the engine, as it was “no longer effective, so he couldn’t keep going”. He considered that “in a situation like that Mr. Ford did everything right”.
According to witnesses, he steered away from the houses. He brushed a tree before hitting the ground close to the eighth tee at Penmar municipal golf course. There was no explosion, just a sound, similar to a car crash. One of the residents said:
“I heard the engine stop and he turned around when he was near the houses. I think it’s amazing he made it back. He must be a very good pilot not just acting it well.”
The crash was quite powerful as one of the wings popped out of the plane. The plane was also missing a wheel. There was a 15 ft. long trench behind the aircraft.
Luckily, among the present golfers there were a few doctors who rushed to the crash scene and pulled the actor out of the plane. He had a bleeding head wound. According to Elaine Miller, one of the golfers he was “in pain”.
An ambulance rushed to the scene and Mr. Ford was fastened to a spinal board then taken to hospital where doctors said he was in a “moderate to fair condition”.
This is not the only airplane incident Penmar golf course has seen. In July 2010, a pilot lost his life after the plane’s single engine died, crashing on the golf course, also at a close distance to the eighth hole.
Image Source: Mirror
