Morgan Freeman lands plane after multiple malfunctions

TORONTO, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Morgan Freeman's trip to the Toronto Film Festival got off to a bumpy start when the plane the actor was flying underwent a series of malfunctions.

Freeman, who turned up 90 minutes late to the premiere of his movie Ruth & Alex, said his plane hit a technical problem after takeoff.

"The slats would not retract in air," Freeman said once he finally arrived at the pre-reception party at Michael's on Simcoe. "On the ground they were fine, but in the air they were a problem. We were about 10 minutes in the air trying to get them to retract but they didn't so we went back and landed."

The 77-year-old actor, who got his pilot's license at the age of 65, said he "cycled the slats on the leading edge of the wing" several times on the ground, thinking they had fixed the problem.

"Once we got in the air, they still didn't work again, so we landed," he said, describing multiple efforts to solve the problem. "We cycled them again, and took off, they still didn't work, so we landed. Cycled them again, and took off, they still didn't work so we went back. Had to put the plane away and take out the other plane."

Freeman didn't say what plane was having the problem, but he is known to fly two of his own planes.

His co-star Diane Keaton waited for Freeman to arrive before they attended the party in honor of their movie, a Richard Loncraine-directed film about a married couple selling their Brooklyn apartment.

Freeman assured well-wishers there was no reason to fear for his safety.

"I just didn't know how late I was," he said. "I was never in any danger."

Ruth & Alex is slated for a Jan. 29, 2015 release date.