The NTSB’s preliminary report, posted online on Tuesday, revealed no new details about Harrison Ford’s accident in Santa Monica last week, and reports on the actor’s recovery also are sparse. Local news outlets have reported that Ford, age 72, underwent surgery to repair broken bones at UCLA Medical Center, and according to a statement from his publicist, he is expected to fully recover from his injuries. Ford’s son Ben tweeted over the weekend that the actor was “on the mend” and had “the best care possible,” but the tweet was later deleted. In its preliminary report, the NTSB said no flight plan was filed for the local flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
An air traffic controller at SMO told the NTSB that following takeoff from runway 21, the pilot advised of an engine failure and requested an immediate return to the airport. “The pilot initiated a left turn back towards the airport; the airplane subsequently struck the top of a tall tree prior to impacting the ground in an open area of a golf course, about 800 feet southwest of the approach end of runway 3,” according to the report. “The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.” The 1940s-era Ryan PT-22 airplane has been relocated to a secure site for further examination.
