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Harrison Ford expected to make full recovery after plane crash

Posted at 6:46 PM, Mar 05, 2015
and last updated 2015-03-06 17:24:51-05

Actor Harrison Ford is recovering after being injured in a plane crash near Los Angeles on Thursday.

TMZ reports that Ford, 72, was piloting a vintage propeller aircraft. The plane crash landed at Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California shortly after takeoff from Santa Monica Airport.

The actor's injuries were serious enough to send him to surgery but were not considered life threatening. According to Los Angeles television station KTLA, a source close to Ford's family said the actor suffered broken bones in his ankle and pelvis.

 

Los Angeles Fire Department Assistant Chief Patrick Butler said in a press conference that the pilot was transported to the hospital in "fair to moderate" condition and was "conscious and breathing." He did not confirm the identity of the pilot.

Audio of Ford reporting mechanical problems to Air Traffic Control before the crash was released by TMZ:

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that it is investigating a crash involving a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR. The U.S. military used the ST3 series as a trainer aircraft in the 1940s, according to the National Naval Aviation Museum.

Ford is a long time aviation enthusiast. He has twice rescued stranded hikers in Yellowstone National Park after joining rescue efforts in his helicopter.

Gavin Stern is a national digital producer with the Scripps National Desk.