Star Wars' Ford said injured in plane crash

A small plane lies where it crash-landed on Penmar Golf Course in the Venice area of Los Angeles on Thursday, March 5, 2015. The course is near the Santa Monica, Calif. Municipal Airport, just west of a runway, but there was no immediate confirmation on whether the plane had taken off or was trying to land.
A small plane lies where it crash-landed on Penmar Golf Course in the Venice area of Los Angeles on Thursday, March 5, 2015. The course is near the Santa Monica, Calif. Municipal Airport, just west of a runway, but there was no immediate confirmation on whether the plane had taken off or was trying to land.

LOS ANGELES -- A man identified in media reports as actor Harrison Ford was injured when his plane crashed Thursday near the Santa Monica Airport in California.

The pilot reported engine failure shortly after takeoff and told air-traffic controllers he was returning to the airport before crash-landing his vintage plane on a nearby golf course in Los Angeles, according to a recording made public on the website LiveATC.net.

The pilot was the only person on board. Fire officials said he had moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

Fire and police officials hadn't publicly confirmed the pilot's identity Thursday evening, but multiple media reports and an official familiar with the crash said it was Ford. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of privacy restrictions.

Ina Treciokas, a publicist for the 72-year-old actor, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Section on 03/06/2015

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