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Son says hospitalized Harrison Ford 'battered, but OK'

"At the hospital. Dad is ok. Battered, but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man," Ford's son Ben tweeted.

By Karen Butler and Doug G. Ware
Cast member Harrison Ford attends the premiere of the motion picture thriller "The Expendables 3" at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, 2014. UPI/Jim Ruymen
Cast member Harrison Ford attends the premiere of the motion picture thriller "The Expendables 3" at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, 2014. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo

VENICE, Calif., March 5 (UPI) -- He's done it dozens of times onscreen, but Thursday afternoon Hollywood vet Harrison Ford escaped death for real in a situation that found the Indiana Jones star in the cockpit of an airplane falling from the sky.

The 72-year-old actor, also a pilot, radioed the traffic control tower at the Santa Monica Airport just moments after he took off Thursday, saying his vintage WWII-era propeller aircraft had encountered engine failure, the Los Angeles Times reported. The tower cleared him to return, but Ford was unable to make it -- instead crash-landing on a golf course short of the runway.

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TMZ reported that Ford was treated by doctors at Penmar Golf Course in Venice before being transported to a nearby hospital, where the Times reported he remained Thursday night.

Media reports initially said Ford had been seriously injured, with gashes to his head. People magazine initially said Ford was listed in critical condition, but later reported he had been upgraded to stable condition. Variety described his status as "fair to moderate," as did responding firefighters.

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His son Ben later confirmed on Twitter that he visited Ford at the hospital.

"At the hospital. Dad is ok. Battered, but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man," the younger Ford tweeted. "Thank you all for your thoughts and good vibes for my dad."

Ford's publicist, Ina Treciokas, said in a prepared statement that the actor was banged up but will make a full recovery.

Exactly what caused the restored Ryan PT-22 Recruit to experience engine failure was not immediately known. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the incident.

The Los Angeles Fire Department tweeted about the incident, saying: "1 small aircraft down on Penmar Golf Course near the Santa Monica airport. Solo occupant, an adult male being transported to local hospital in critical condition. No other injuries. LAFD & SMFD on scene."

Thursday was not the first time Ford has crashed in an aircraft. In 1999, he went down with a Bell 206L4 LongRanger helicopter near Santa Clarita, Calif., during a training session. Neither Ford nor the instructor received any injuries but the chopper was severely damaged.

The Times report said Ford's accident may once again raise concern about the Santa Monica Airport and it's location -- where nearly 50 accidents have been recorded since 1982.

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Ford is the father of five children and the husband of actress Calista Flockhart. His film credits include American Graffiti, Blade Runner, Working Girl, Witness, Patriot Games, The Fugitive, Air Force One, Regarding Henry, Ender's Game and 42.

The actor was reprising his role of Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII last June when he reportedly broke his leg in a mishap involving the Millennium Falcon and had to undergo surgery to treat it.

Ford also made headlines last week when it was reported he would reprise his role of Rick Deckard in a forthcoming sequel to the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner.

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