Harrison Ford has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after the plane he was piloting was involved in a crash.
Harrison Ford, 72, was piloting what is reported to be a vintage WWII-era 2-seater fighter plane when he crashed into a golf course in the Venice area of California.
Emergency personnel apparently arrived on the scene a short time after and Harrison was escorted to hospital.
TMZ reports that Harrison suffered “multiple gashes to his head and was bleeding”.
Sources initially reported his injuries as “critical,” but now they are emphasizing that they are better characterized as serious, including “lacerations to the head and possible fractures” according to NBC News.
An employee at the Penmar Golf Course, where the accident occurred told NBC: “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.”
Scenes from the crash at Penmar Golf Course in California.
A still from the scene of the crash.
It’s believed that there were already doctors on the scene who happened to be at the golf course at the time and immediately came to his assistance.
The plane crashed after take off from the Santa Monica Airport, according to Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Harrison Ford seen flying his Ryan PT-22 plane back in September 2013 which crashed today in Santa Monica, CA
This latest incident follows an onset injury that the actor suffered last year while filming at Pinewood studios in the UK when a prop fell on Harrison on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII in June last year.
The Indiana Jones star has a long history of aviation experience. With a known love of flying, he pilots both planes and helicopters. He has previously been seen piloting his own private jet across the Atlantic on trips to London and owns an 800 hectare ranch in Wyoming dedicated to his hobby.
The Los Angeles Fire Department posted the above update to their Twitter page.
Harrison has been involved in a plane crash before. While piloting a Bell 206L4 LongRanger helicopter on a routine training flight over Lake Piru in California, the helicopter lost power and hit the ground hard. Both Harrison and his instructor pilot escaped serious injury although the helicopter was badly damaged.
Speaking about the incident 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.”
Harrison has also been noted and praised for being benevolent with his aircraft collection, providing emergency helicopter services to local authorities. In one case he reportedly even rescued a hiker overcome by dehydration.
