The force was strong with Harrison Ford today as the plane he was piloting crashed after takeoff at the Santa Monica Airport. He was at first listed in critical condition but Ford is in fair condition tonight at a local hospital.
According to the latest update about an hour ago, Ford’s son said his father was “batterred but OK.” The younger Ford just sent out a tweet from the hospital with the Star Wars star. In a follow up Ben Ford said, “Thank you all for your thoughts and good vibes for my dad.” The Force is strong with this one.
The single-engine plane he was piloting crashed on a golf course just west of Santa Monica Airport. Law enforcement officials reported that the actor is in fair to moderate condition at a local hospital after Ford plane crashthe 2:30 PM crash at Penmar Golf Course. “I can report he left the scene conscious and breathing,” Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Patrick Butler said at a news conference. LAFD officials said a witness on the ground told them the World War II-era PT-22 trainer plane had just taken off and had some kind of mechanical problem. Ford, who has been flying planes for nearly 50 years and is very familiar with Santa Monica Airport, was the only person aboard and was outside the plane when first responders arrived.
“When flying this plane, it has two seats,” Butler said, “but if you’re flying solo, you fly from the rear cockpit. That was a good thing that he was in the back seat, since the plane hit a tree on the way down.”
“Almost every day of the year, most planes at the airport take off to the west,” Butler said. “When you take off, because of neighbors, pilots are told to sidestep to left and fly over that golf course. Ford was flying over the golf course on the departure end of the runway. The plane was pointed back to the runway; something happened that caused him to turn around. He was trying to make it back to the airport.”
Ford is most known for his series of high profile roles in such films as the Star Wars Episodes IV, V, VI, Raiders of the Lost Ark trilogy, Blade Runner, The Fugitive, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, What Lies Beneath and most recently he will be returning as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
All of us here at Horror Society would like to wish Harrison Ford a speedy recovery and our thoughts are with you and your family.
