Actor Harrison Ford was seriously injured Thursday when a vintage World War II training plane he was piloting crash landed on a Mar Vista, California, golf course.
The actor was stabilized and taken to a local hospital. Sources said he sustained cuts to head. There was no word on other injuries or what caused the plane to crash. It appeared he was flying solo.
Howard Tabe, an employee at the Penmar Golf Course, said 'There was blood all over his face ... Two very fine doctors were treating him, taking good care of him. I helped put a blanket under his hip."
The plane crashed on the golf course just west of the airport shortly after takeoff from the Santa Monica Airport, according to Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration, NBC Los Angeles reported.
I hope that the doctors told him the odds of him flying again were a million to one, and he screamed "never tell me the odds", then jumped into another plane and flew off into the sunset while a totally bitching guitar solo wailed.
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She’s built like a Steakhouse, but she handles like a Bistro.
Let's kick the tires, and light the fires.... SHIT! FIRE! EMERGENCY CHECKLIST!
Definitely a Ryan. It's as tragic that the plane was wrecked as it is that Harrison was injured. The new Star Wars movie will no doubt be delayed, if the injuries are serious. And rebuilding a Ryan isn't a skillset that many have these days.
Here's to hoping he has a speedy recovery and can get back in the saddle. The man loves flying and sure knows how to pick a plane.
Sounds like ems was on scene fast. I heard he is in "fair to moderate" condition with injuries from smashing his head around the cockpit during the crash. One crappy media headline made it sound like he was on the course and got hit by the plane, wouldn't that be ironic
I don't think those Ryans were meant to make the leap to hyperspace!
Seriously, I wish the best for Harrison, great entertainer. FWIW, as a firefighter, I've spent lots of time around people who've come to a sudden stop, it's reassuring to know that often a small head injury results in a lot of blood.
The right wing looks separated from the aircraft. Most likely the aileron balance cable snapped to make them both go up like that.... and lots of flap systems of that vintage only have extension cables with individual return springs.
Kinner radial engine. My first flight ever was in a PT22 at Delta Airpark when Jesus was a carpenter. My 12th birthday party. Nothing like doing a loop and falling off your seat until your shoulder harnesses caught you because you were too small and the belts didn't have any more holes to put the pins in to make it small enough! Thinking back, I don't have a clue why I wanted to fly after that. Maybe my father really was trying to get rid of me... Hmmm.
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Last edited by xsbank on Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
"What's it doing now?"
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
Another story, I think it was in California (?) during the war, a service flying school launched nearly a hundred Ryans with students and instructors. The fog rolled in. They found the aircraft in trees, barns, woods, everywhere. None of them made it back to the field and nobody was killed.
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"What's it doing now?"
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
Most importantly Harrison is beat up but is fine - he 'landed' on the 8th hole - right beside two doctors who were golfing - who immediately attended to him, removed him from the plane - and carried him away!! He was bleeding profusely from the face - but totally coherent.
Aircraft is registered as a 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR - N53178 (NC53178) since 2009.
I think this proves we need to amend the training syllabus in respect of forced landings: where possible golf courses should be preferred because of the near certainty of finding qualified medical personnel on the fairways at the time of arrival.
Even if you don't get a doctor you might get a dentist who could fix any teeth loosened in the landing while waiting for additional assistance.
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DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
I've got 54 fairways to chose from within gliding distance of the circuit at my home field. Very nice of them to provide all of those emergency landing strips... even though they are for the most part being wasted on a boring, mindless, elitist game.....
