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Old March 6th 15, 04:00 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
george152
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Posts: 158
Default Harrison Ford Reported Fair After Plane Crash

On 6/03/2015 2:30 p.m., Larry Dighera wrote:


Venice, California

Another facial scar for Harrison, and a blow to a vintage PT-22. Ford makes
the 6 PM news (as every pilot fears). Even at 72, I would expect him to heal
reasonably quickly and hopefully, fully. Nice job putting it between the
trees. The hearts of the aviation community go out to you.
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VIDEO:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harrison-ford-injured-plane-crash-n318301

Harrison Ford Reported Fair After Plane Crash

BY ANDREW BLANKSTEIN AND HASANI G

Actor Harrison Ford was injured Thursday when a vintage World War II training
plane he was piloting crash landed on a California golf course.

The actor, who was conscious and breathing when rescue crews reached him, was
stabilized and taken to a hospital, where he was in fair to moderate condition,
authorities said. Sources said he sustained cuts to his head. There was no word
on other injuries or what caused the plane to crash about 2:20 p.m. (5:20 p.m.
ET). It appeared he was flying solo.

"We are very thankful that the passenger had [only] very moderate injuries,"
Los Angeles Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Butler said.

The plane clipped some tree branches and crashed on the golf course shortly
after takeoff from Santa Monica Airport, Butler said. An eyewitness, Howard
Teba, an employee at Penmar Golf Course, said he put a blanket under Ford's
hip.

"There was blood all over his face," Teba said. "Two very fine doctors were
treating him, taking good care of him."

Mike Bonin, a Los Angeles City Council member, agreed, telling NBC Los Angeles:
"Thank God that this incident happened on a golf course where there is a
relatively open space."

Bonis has lobbied to close the airport as being inadequate. "This airport is
remarkably close to residential areas and flight schools, which is very
concerning," he said.

An avid flyer of both planes and helicopters, Ford was in a bad crash of a Bell
chopper in 1999 Santa Clara, California. In 2008, he told National Geographic,
"Well, there was a mechanical failure while we were practicing power recovery
autorotations. It was more or less a hard landing. Luckily, I was with another
aviation professional and neither of us was hurt — and both of us are still
flying."

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending an investigator.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTROL TOWER AUDIO:
http://www.tmz.com/2015/03/05/harrison-ford-plane-crash-landing-golf-course-santa-monica/

Harrison Ford
Plane Crashes
[Update: Control Tower Audio]
3/5/2015 3:15 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF
EXCLUSIVE
0305_harrison_ford_crash_scene_launch_2update_grap hic_red_bar
4:30 PM PT -- We've obtained intense audio of Harrison talking to the Santa
Monica Airport control tower just moments after he'd taken off. Listen ... you
hear him report engine failure and request an emergency return to the airport.

4:41 PM PT -- A witness who was golfing at the time of the crash tells us she
heard the engine sputter ... and watched the plane do a "nose dive straight on
the 8th hole tee box."

The witness adds, "I was one of the first people to run from the hole toward
the plane. 4 to 5 men pulled the pilot out of the plane."
"They got him away from the plane. They were concerned it would catch on fire."
"Two doctors were there – and they had a 1st aid box with them. He was
conscious, talking a little -- a HUGE cut on his head."
The witness tells us the cut was VERY deep -- "A swath of his skin was missing.
There was blood dripping down his face."update_grey_gray_barA small plane
piloted by Harrison Ford has crash-landed at an L.A. golf course ... but we're
told the actor has survived.

TMZ has learned ... Ford was piloting what appears to be a vintage 2-seater
fighter plane Thursday ... when something went wrong and he crashed into Penmar
golf course in Venice, CA.

We're told Ford suffered multiple gashes to his head and was bleeding. Two
doctors who happened to be at the golf course rushed over to treat the actor.
Emergency personnel arrived to the scene a short time later. Ford was
transported to a nearby hospital.

72-year-old Ford is a longtime aviator -- piloting planes and helicopters --
and has crashed multiple times in the past.
Story developing ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between The Trees
CRASHWITE VIDEO:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/05/harrison-ford-plane-crash_n_6812320.html

Harrison Ford Taken To Hospital After Plane Crash
The Huffington Post | By Jessica Goodman
Email
Posted: 03/05/2015 6:34 pm EST Updated: 2 minutes ago
HARRISON FORD

Harrison Ford was involved in a plane crash near a Los Angeles golf course on
Thursday afternoon, according to multiple reports. CBS News confirmed that Ford
was piloting the the plane, which crashed on Penmar Golf Course in Venice,
California. Ford's rep did not return HuffPost Entertainment's immediate
request for comment.

TMZ was the first to report the news that Ford was taken to the hospital
following the incident. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed the plane's
solo occupant was transported to a local hospital and tweeted that he was in
"critical condition." In an updated briefing, however, a representative for the
LAFD said the patient was found in "moderate condition," "conscious,"
"breathing" and outside the plane when the paramedics arrived on the scene. No
other people were injured.

The LAFD released a statement in a series of tweets:

The single-engine aircraft suffered a medium to high impact on the grass at
Penmar Golf Course. Bystanders rendered aid to the conscious and breathing
approximate 70 y/o male pilot prior to firefighters arrival. Firefighters
provided immediate medical aid to the patient who is now described as suffering
fair to moderate injury and being treated at a local hospital.
NBC reported Ford sustained serious injuries, including cuts to his head.
"There was blood all over his face," a Penmar Golf Course employee told NBC
News. An unnamed family member categorized Ford as "fine."

penmar
A photo of Ford's plane, which crashed on Penmar Golf Course on Thursday

Ford is a seasoned pilot, and was reportedly flying a vintage World War II-era
plane.

TMZ posted audio purported to be of Ford communicating with Santa Monica
Airport air traffic control shortly after takeoff. (In the clip, the pilot
reports engine failure and requests an immediate return to the airport.) Fox 11
Los Angeles obtained footage of the plane on the ground as well:

Ford has been involved in multiple plane crashes over the years, most notably
in 2000 when he made a crash landing in his six-passenger plane in Nebraska. In
1999, a helicopter he was piloting crashed in Santa Clarita, California. He
escaped unharmed both times.

This story is developing ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://abc7.com/news/man-injured-in-small-plane-crash-at-penmar-golf-course/546555/
"He was able to speak. He expressed that he was in pain, which was no
surprise," Miller said.



Your media is as bad as ours for reporting real events