LOS ANGELES -- Renowned U.S. actor Harrison Ford survived a close-to-death crash-landing of his WWII-era single-engine plane near Los Angeles in California on Thursday.
The 72-year-old adventurer used his abundant piloting experience to successfully grounded the aircraft on a golf course in southern California, while the plane lost power shortly after takeoff. He suffered serious injuries during the hard landing, but there is no life risk.
Ford's son, Ben Ford, said on Twitter that his father was "OK." "Battered, but OK! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man."
Ford took off from Santa Monica Municipal Airport at around 2:00 p.m. (2200 GMT), then experienced engine trouble and was circling back to the airport when he crash-landed on the golf course, local media reported.
The single-engine plane, identified by the National Transportation Safety Board as a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, went down at about 2:25 p.m. (2225 GMT), said Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesman Erik Scott.
Scott said there was only one person aboard the plane. LAFD Assistant Chief Patrick Butler said the pilot was outside the plane when rescuers arrived at the scene.
Ford is best known for playing Han Solo in "Star Wars" movies and his roles as Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and its sequels.
He got his pilot's license in the late 1980s and has served as a spokesman for various airline associations. He is a longtime aviation enthusiast and has even piloted helicopters in search-and-rescue operations.
