Harrison Ford in 'fair to moderate' condition after small-plane crash
The "Star Wars" actor reportedly crashed his small two-seater on a golf course close to Santa Monica Airport Thursday and has been hospitalized for his injuries, according to reports.
Harrison Ford, the 72-year-old actor best known for flying the Millennium Falcon in "Star Wars" and playing the adventure-seeking archeologist Indiana Jones, crashed his small WWII-era airplane on Penmar Golf Course near Santa Monica Airport this afternoon at 2:25 p.m. PT, according to multiple reports.
He has been hospitalized and is listed in "fair to moderate" condition, reports say. "Dad is OK. Battered, but OK." Ford's son Ben tweeted Thursday.
At 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.
— Chef Ben Ford (@ChefBenFord) March 6, 2015
While Los Angeles police and fire officials have yet to officially identify Ford as the pilot, they said "it was a man in his 70s who was conscious and alert when he was tended by paramedics at the scene," according to CBS News in Los Angeles. LAFD Assistant Chief Patrick Butler said the pilot was outside the plane when crews arrived.
Ford was "able to walk away from the single-engine plane accident, and was later attended to by two physicians who were on the scene," according to Variety.
NFL Network journalist Andrew Siciliano tweeted a photo of the damaged plane with the caption: "That is a definitely a plane in front of the 8th green at Penmar in Venice. Pilot allegedly walked away. Wow."
The small plane was reportedly returning to the airport after experiencing some kind of trouble, but did not make its destination. "Fire officials noted that the plane appeared to have struck a tree, since some branches had been knocked onto the golf course," CBS reported.
Ford, an avid pilot and plane enthusiast, owns several planes and is an active member of both the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Last year, Ford sustained injuries on the UK set of "Star Wars: Episode VII" while filming a scene involving the Millennium Falcon, the ship his character Han Solo piloted with best friend, Wookiee Chewbacca. The actor had to take a break from filming to recover from leg surgery related to that injury.