Harrison Ford Battered, but OK After Plane Crash

His classic aircraft had engine failure and he crashed on a golf course.

Harrison Ford crashed soon after take off. He is "OK". Screenshot: CNN

(VENICE, Calif.) - Harrison Ford, American iconic actor, crashed his plane on a golf course near the Santa Monica airport this afternoon.

Harrison Ford

He radioed the tower and told them "Engine Failure, Immediate return." They told him to land on runway 21, which was too far for him to make and he said he'd "have to take runway 3." He didn't make it that far.

The golf course was the best choice to avoid homes, and traffic.

"It was a heroic landing," said CNN's aviation expert. He added, "Ford is as good a stick as they get".

Known to be a meticulous pilot, Harrison Ford owns several airplanes and is passionate about aviation. He flies regularly.

There was no fire when he crashed, which may be partly because he was slowing down to a glide, so there wasn't enough friction to upset the fuel cells and oil tanks up front in the plane.

Harrison Ford is in a hospital with injuries, but is "Battered, but OK", according to his son, Ben Ford via Twitter.

The vintage WWII plane he was flying has a front and rear seat, and when a pilot solos they sit in the back seat. This appears to have been helpful in his living through the crash with limited injuries.

There are about 2,000 crashes yearly nationwide, with few fatalities. All pilots agree, any landing you can walk away from is a good one. They consider this a good landing.

The NTSB is on site, and the investigation into the crash is underway.