Venice, California (CNN) It was not Harrison Ford, the veteran actor, who made news Thursday; it was Harrison Ford, the experienced pilot, who managed to coax his single-engine plane to a forced landing on a Southern California golf course after the plane's engine failed. 
 
 The 72-year-old remained hospitalized Friday, "Battered but OK," according to a tweet by his son. 
 
 Jens Lucking lives near the Santa Monica crash site and heard Ford's distressed engine. 
 
 "When he was right by the house, the engine cut out and then he turned around," he said. 
 
 Ford called in an emergency to Santa Monica Municipal Airport and steered the sinking craft toward the runway. Air traffic control gave Ford permission to land but the plane, struggling to stay airborne, didn't make it. 
 
 This is a map showing the distance from #HarrisonFord crash site to #SantaMonica Municipal Airport. pic.twitter.com/1IrDzhLMKy 
 
 Sinking fast 
 
 It brushed a treetop, then dropped and raked the Penmar Golf Course right across from the airport, National Transportation and Safety Board spokesman Patrick Jones said. It came to a halt yards away from a street. Ford was the only person on board. 
 
 The bright yellow and silver 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR with the number 50 on the side has become one of Ford's trademarks, with paparazzi snapping him taking off in its open-air dual cockpit. It lay sprawled flat after Thursday's accident, with its red nose bent down into the ground. 
 
 Jones said that it will be moved Friday into a local airplane hangar, where the investigation will continue. 
 
 Tom Haines, also a pilot, has flown with Ford before and praised his skill. "He's a very skilled pilot. He's very safety-conscious and goes to training routinely for all of his aircraft," Haines said. 
 
 @IshEstradaCNN snapped this pic. See how close plane is, I'm only 50 yards from a home. Amazing landing #HarrisonFord pic.twitter.com/zBpJBBDeVs — Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) March 6, 2015 
 
 Conjuring film image 
 
 An emergency team arrived, cared for the pilot and took him off on a stretcher in an ambulance to a hospital. He was alert and conscious at the crash site, a fire official said. 
 
 Authorities would not identify Ford as the pilot and crash victim, but his publicist and son did. 
 
 "The injuries sustained are not life threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery," Ford's publicist Ina Treciokas said. 
 
 With Ford at the controls, it's hard not to juxtapose upon him the characters he has embodied, such as Han Solo, who regularly edged past mortal danger in a barely airworthy "vintage" Millennium Falcon in the futuristic distan past setting of "Star Wars." 
 
 The actor's son, Ben Ford, alluded to it in a tweet to reassure fans: 
 
 "Dad is ok. Battered, but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man." 
 
 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. — Chef Ben Ford (@ChefBenFord) March 6, 2015 
 
 Solo's cinematic co-pilot Chewbacca was played by Peter Mayhew, who tweeted best wishes to Ford, "Here's hoping my buddy comes away with just another scar to match his crooked smile. Speedy Recovery Harrison!" 
 
 Here's hoping my buddy comes away with just another scar to match his crooked smile. Speedy Recovery Harrison! http://t.co/c0wyzR9wPJ — Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) March 5, 2015 
 
 Dousing mystique 
 
 Anyone coming away from any crash of any kind is lucky. But bringing a plane down successfully and without serious injury is not superhuman for any experienced pilot, NTSB investigator Jones said. 
 
 It's the norm. And "this pilot is an experienced pilot." 
 
 Annually, about 2,000 planes crash, Jones said. "It is unusual for pilots to lose their lives." 
 
 This wasn't Ford's first air mishap. 
 
 In 1999, he made a hard emergency landing in a California riverbed while flying in a helicopter with a flight instructor. And in 2000, he reportedly slid off the runway while landing a plane in Lincoln, Nebraska. 
 
 Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Actor Harrison Ford flies a Ryan PT-22 military plane on January 28, 2011, in Santa Monica, California. This is believed to be the same plane Ford, an experienced pilot, was flying when he crashed Thursday, March 5, on a golf course. The World War II-era plane is also known as the Ryan ST3KR. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Ford checks and cleans the windows of his helicopter before flying on January 29, 2011. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Ford readies his Cessna Citation twin-jet aircraft in Santa Monica, California, on July 19, 2010. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Ford in the seat of a WACO biplane on March 12, 2010 in Santa Monica, California. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Ford prepares to fly a 12-seat Cessna on November 29, 2009. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Pilot Harrison Ford Ford pilots an Aviat Aircraft A-1C-20 at the Santa Monica Airport on November 19, 2009. Hide Caption 6 of 6 
 
 Expert: Dangerous plane 
 
 The crash probably has less to do with the pilot and more with the plane, said CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Firsthand look at flying in an open cockpit plane Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Firsthand look at flying in an open cockpit plane 02:10 
 
 The older the plane, the more likely it is to crash, she said. "As the years go on, they get a lot more dangerous." 
 
 "They need very special care," and aviation laws proscribe their flying parameters. "You have to follow a special aging aircraft protocol," Schiavo said. 
 
 But she complimented Ford's move. He set the unpowered plane up for a good glide, she said. 
 
 Ford also drives a vintage car, a late model Jaguar convertible, which he has often been photographed in. 
 
 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Harrison Ford is slated to play Indiana Jones again in a film due in 2019. He first did the character in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Here are other photos of Ford through the years. Hide Caption 1 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford with Jenny Sullivan on the television show "Love, American Style" in 1969. Hide Caption 2 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford became a worldwide star after appearing as Han Solo in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Hide Caption 3 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford in 1978, the same year he appeared in the "Star Wars Holiday Special." Hide Caption 4 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Sean Connery played Ford's dad in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the third film in the franchise. Hide Caption 5 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years From left, Ruben Blades, Ford and Brad Pitt appear in "The Devil's Own" in 1997. Hide Caption 6 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford is greeted by President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair during a state dinner at the White House in 2005. Hide Caption 7 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in Robert Zemeckis' 2000 horror film, "What Lies Beneath." Hide Caption 8 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford and actress Calista Flockhart at a Hollywood party in 2005; the two married in 2010. Hide Caption 9 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford arrives at the Hollywood premiere of "Firewall" in 2006. Hide Caption 10 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years From left, director Steven Spielberg, Ford and "Star Wars" creator George Lucas attend a screening of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. Hide Caption 11 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford and Flockhart arrive at the premiere of "Extraordinary Measures" in 2010. Hide Caption 12 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford appeared with Daniel Craig in the 2011 film "Cowboys and Aliens." Hide Caption 13 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford and Flockhart arrive at the Golden Globe Awards in 2012. Hide Caption 14 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Ford attends the annual Comic-Con event in San Diego in 2013. Hide Caption 15 of 16 Photos: Harrison Ford through the years Harrison Ford reprised his role as Han Solo in 2015's blockbuster "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens." Hide Caption 16 of 16 
 
 Airport fight 
 
 Ford has reportedly been at odds with residents near the airport. 
 
 To some neighbors, the small Santa Monica Airport, known by IATA code SMO, is a thorn in the side -- a source of noise, exhaust and danger. There have reportedly been a handful of previous crashes there. 
 
 SMO was originally built in 1919 and has just one runway. But it is now squeezed into a very dense neighborhood. Golfers and neighbors say aircraft fly too close to homes. 
 
 SMO's days may be numbered, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported, as the end-date of the agreement over its land use is under dispute. 
 
 Ford has reportedly fought alongside SMO's fans to keep it open and donated tens of thousands of dollars to lobby voters to wrest some control over it away from the city council. 
 
 That campaign failed. ||||| Eddie Aguglia, 47, said crash would have been much worse had Ford tried to go back to the airport, while son calls actor ‘an incredibly strong man’ 
 
 A witness to the plane crash in which the actor Harrison Ford was injured on Thursday said the actor “saved several lives” when he brought his plane down on a golf course near Los Angeles, avoiding a built-up area nearby. 
 
 Eddie Aguglia, 47, was playing a round when Ford brought the plane down, having reported “engine failure” in a call to Santa Monica’s municipal airport, from where he had taken off. 
 
 
 
 “Looking at where he crashed and how the plane went down, I’m sure there was a moment where he said, ‘I’m not going to risk lives, whatever happens, happens. It’s going to be just me,’” Aguglia told NBC News. 
 
 The 72-year-old actor suffered “moderate” injuries after crashing the vintage two-seater plane he was piloting on to a green at Penmar golf course on Thursday afternoon. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Harrison Ford is treated on the golf course by paramedics 
 
 Reports said Ford suffered lacerations to his face and possible fractures. Television news footage taken showed him on a stretcher being taken into an ambulance. 
 
 “He risked life and limb by putting it down on the golf course instead of trying to go further to try to get back to the airport. Another 25 to 30 yards and … I don’t want to think about it. He saved several lives,” said Aguglia. 
 
 Patrick Jones, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, told a press conference Ford (whom he did not name) had been “absolutely” lucky to escape with his life. 
 
 “Anytime a pilot survives an accident, that is a good thing,” said Jones. “I’m sure the pilot is glad that there was a golf course here.” 
 
 A local NBC affiliate reported that a doctor who was also on the course was first to reach the actor. 
 
 Dr Sanjay Khurana, a spinal surgeon, told NBC4 he “did a brief exam and smelled the fuel and didn’t want it to ignite”. He said he then recognised the actor. 
 
 “I watched Star Wars as a kid,” Khurana said. “I think we all did, right? Raiders of the Lost Ark… iconic films.” 
 
 Paramedics found Ford to be “alert and conscious” and suffering “moderate trauma”, Patrick Butler, the Los Angeles assistant fire chief, told a press conference at the scene. He added: “We are very thankful that the passenger had [only] very moderate injuries.” 
 
 Ford’s son Ben, meanwhile, reported from hospital that his father was “battered but OK” after crashing. 
 
 Chef Ben Ford (@ChefBenFord) 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. 
 
 On Twitter, Ben Ford added: “He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man.” 
 
 The 72-year-old Ford, who appeared in Star Wars, Blade Runner, and The Fugitive, reported engine failure to the Santa Monica airport control tower moments after taking off. In a curt, composed-sounding message he requested “immediate return” and was cleared to land but did not make it to the runway. 
 
 Ford, a veteran pilot, was the only occupant of the plane, a Ryan PT-22 Recruit, which was used for training during the second world war. He qualified as a pilot in the 1990s and has made headlines with two rescues, one of a missing boy scout and one a mountain climber in Wyoming. 
 
 In 2000 he was piloting a six-seater plane which was blown off a runway in Lincoln, Nebraska; he has also volunteered to fight forest fires. 
 
 The United Talent Agency, which represents the actor, said in a statement that his plane stalled upon take off. 
 
 
 
 “He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely,” the statement said. “He was banged up and is in the hospital receiving medical care. The injuries sustained are not life threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery.” 
 
 Christian Fry, of the Santa Monica Airport Association, said: “I would say that this is an absolutely beautifully executed … forced or emergency landing, by an unbelievably well-trained pilot.” ||||| Harrison Ford Plane Crashes [Video Update: Paramedics Treat Harrison] 
 
 Harrison Ford -- Plane Crashes ... Actor Seriously Injured (VIDEO UPDATE: Paramedics Treat Harrison) 
 
 6:20 PM PT -- A rep for Ford says, "Harrison was flying a WW2 vintage plane today which stalled upon takeoff." They added, "He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely. The injuries sustained are not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery." 
 
 5:05 PM PT -- TMZ just obtained video of first responders on the scene treating Harrison ... just yards away from the plane he just crash landed on the golf course. 
 
 5:00 PM PT -- Harrison's son Ben just tweeted, "At the hospital. Dad is ok. Battered, but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is." 
 
 4:30 PM PT -- We've obtained intense audio of Harrison talking to the Santa Monica Airport control tower just moments after he'd taken off. Listen ... you hear him report engine failure and request an emergency return to the airport. 
 
 4:41 PM PT -- A witness who was golfing at the time of the crash tells us she heard the engine sputter ... and watched the plane do a "nose dive straight on the 8th hole tee box." 
 
 The witness adds, "I was one of the first people to run from the hole toward the plane. 4 to 5 men pulled the pilot out of the plane." 
 
 "They got him away from the plane. They were concerned it would catch on fire." 
 
 "Two doctors were there – and they had a 1st aid box with them. He was conscious, talking a little -- a HUGE cut on his head." 
 
 The witness tells us the cut was VERY deep -- "A swath of his skin was missing. There was blood dripping down his face." A small plane piloted by Harrison Ford has crash-landed at an L.A. golf course ... but we're told the actor has survived. 
 
 TMZ has learned ... Ford was piloting what appears to be a vintage 2-seater fighter plane Thursday ... when something went wrong and he crashed into Penmar golf course in Venice, CA. Remarkably, it appears Ford veered off course from the runway in order to avoid crashing into homes. 
 
 We're told Ford suffered multiple gashes to his head and was bleeding. Two doctors who happened to be at the golf course rushed over to treat the actor. 
 
 Emergency personnel arrived to the scene a short time later. Ford was transported to a nearby hospital. 
 
 72-year-old Ford is a longtime aviator -- piloting planes and helicopters -- and has crashed multiple times in the past. ||||| Harrison Ford "saved several lives" by avoiding crashing his vintage plane into a densely populated area, an eyewitness told NBC News on Friday. The 72-year-old star was hospitalized after he ditched his World War II training plane on a Los Angeles golf course Thursday after losing engine power. 
 
 NTSB investigators said Friday morning that they would begin removing the wreckage from the Penmar Golf Course and determine if a mechanical failure might have caused the crash. "Anytime that a human being can survive an accident involving an airplane ... it’s a good day," investigator Patrick Jones said at a news conference. 
 
 The "Star Wars" actor emerged from the incident conscious and alert, with a broken arm and a nasty gash to his head. Ford's publicist said his injuries were non-life-threatening and he was expected to make a full recovery. 
 
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 But an eyewitness said the crash could have been far worse had the actor not had the skill and awareness to avoid the suburban area surrounding the small, nine-hole golf course. 
 
 "Looking at where he crashed and how the plane went down, I’m sure there was a moment where he said, ‘I’m not going to risk lives, whatever happens, happens. It’s going to be just me,'" said 47-year-old camera assistant Eddie Aguglia, who was playing a round of golf at the time. 
 
 "He risked life and limb by putting it down on the golf course instead of trying to go further to try to get back to the airport," Aguglia told NBC News. "Another 25 to 30 yards and ... I don’t want to think about it. He saved several lives." 
 
 Aguglia, who is from Studio City, Los Angeles, said the golf course was near a school and surrounded by densely populated residential streets. It was just blocks away from Santa Monica Airport, where Ford took off in the Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR aircraft before crashing at around 2:20 p.m. (5:20 p.m. ET). 
 
 Charlie Thompson, a flight instructor at the airport who saw Ford take off, told NBC Los Angeles that it was likely no coincidence that Ford crashed on the golf course and not into the surrounding residential area. 
 
 "When you have an engine failure as a pilot you are taught the number one priority is the safety of the people on the ground," Thompson said. "The golf course is the place where you could land the safest for the local community and making sure he didn't endanger the people in the local area." 
 
 The NTSB said Friday morning that investigators had yet to interview Ford. The plane itself may not yield a wealth of electronic clues, he added. "It’s a 1942 vintage aircraft, there’s not a lot of computers to it," Jones said. "A lot of it is old-school mechanical. We’ll take a look at it." 
 
 He added that pilots in crash-land situations often have to think quickly to secure the safest spots to put down their planes — and in this case, it happened to be a golf course. 
 
 "When you take off from an airport … and you need to land an aircraft, you have to pick the best spots where you are," Jones said. "And apparently these are the best spots.”
– Harrison Ford had to crash-land his small plane on a golf course near Los Angeles today, but he appears to have escaped serious harm. "Dad is ok," tweeted son Ben Ford from the hospital. "Battered but ok!" The AP reports that the 72-year-old veteran pilot suffered "moderate injuries," and NBC Los Angeles says that includes cuts to the head. Ford reported engine trouble and requested permission to make an emergency return to the Santa Monica Airport soon after taking off, reports TMZ. He landed on the course in Venice instead, and two doctors who happened to be there treated him until he was taken to the hospital. NBC reports that he appeared to be flying solo in a WWII-era training plane, and CNN reports that he appeared to hit some trees on the way down. "There was blood all over his face," says an employee at Penmar Golf Course. "Two very fine doctors were treating him, taking good care of him. I helped put a blanket under his hip."