Harrison Ford was 'so lucky' to hit tree before crashing plane on golf course

AIR crash investigators have revealed just how lucky Hollywood superstar Harrison Ford was to escape with his life after he crashed his vintage plane onto a golf course last week.

Harrison FordGETTY

Harrison Ford's plane suffered a catastrophic loss of power shortly after take-off

A preliminary report confirmed that the Indiana Jones star’s World War II Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, suffered a catastrophic loss of power shortly after take-off from Santa Monica Municipal Airport, Los Angeles.

Ford, 72, who remains in hospital with a broken pelvis, fractured ankle and a severe wound to his head, quickly but calmly alerted traffic control of an engine failure and requested an immediate return to the airport, according to the findings.

The report, from the American National Transportation Safety Board, stated: “The pilot initiated a left turn back towards the airport. The airplane subsequently struck the top of a tall tree prior to impacting the ground in an open area of a golf course, about 800 feet southwest of the approach end of runway 3.

A swathe of his skin was missing. There was blood dripping down his face.

Eye-witness

"The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.”

The veteran star, who has been widely praised for averting a much more serious disaster by veering the aircraft away from buildings, suffered “serious injuries” in the crash, the report said.

However, it said he was also expected to make a full recovery.

Witnesses have told how the star heroically swerved the plane away from people’s homes in order to save lives, before crashing onto the Penmar Golf Course in the Venice area of Los Angeles. 

Eddie Aguglia, who was playing golf at the time, said: “Looking at where he crashed and how the plane went down, I’m sure there was a moment where he said, ‘’I’m not going to risk lives, whatever happens, happens. It’s going to be just me.’’’

Witness Ryan Harris called the landing a “masterful feat of airmanship”, while another golfer told how she watched the small plane perform a “nose dive straight on the 8th hole tee box.”

She said the actor had been “conscious, talking a little” but had a deep gash on his head.

Harrison FordGETTY

Harrison Ford is the star of the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films

“A swathe of his skin was missing,” she said. 

“There was blood dripping down his face.”

Another eye-witness told how the star’s plane had been leaking fuel after the crash and he feared it would explode.

Surgeon Sanjay Khurana, who was playing golf on the course when the aircraft came down, said: “He was obviously moaning and in pain.

“My task, if you will, was to get him out of the airplane in a somewhat urgent manner because the fuel was leaking.”

Harrison Ford Has Been Involved In A Plane Crash

Ford is a keen pilot, and last year became a lifelong member of a UK flying club in Shropshire.

The actor, who has been a licensed pilot for two decades, was in Shropshire while working on JJ Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII and called the club to rent a plane while there.

Bob Pooler, the club’s chief instructor, said he took a test flight with the screen legend before signing him up as a lifelong member.

Mr Pooler said Ford later delivered a plane from Sleap Airfield, near Wem, to Denham, close to Pinewood Studios, and said he would return to the club. 

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