Harrison Ford Plane Crash

Harrison Ford is taking to the skies again by himself ... and he's double-checking everything before liftoff.

Harrison flew out of Santa Monica Airport Saturday in a helicopter ... and the video is movie-worthy.

Harrison Ford's taxiway landing last Monday was caught on video, and it promises to be the centerpiece of the FAA investigation.

The video was captured by cameras trained on the runways at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. It shows Ford's approach which came dangerously close to an American Airlines 737, which was on the taxiway when the actor's plane passed overhead.

Harrison Ford didn't sound like a seasoned pilot of more than 20 years when he stammered through radio calls to the tower ... minutes before his screwed up landing on a taxiway.

TMZ has obtained audio of Harrison's convo with air traffic control as he took off from Santa Monica Airport at 11:49 AM on Feb. 13, and he sounds confused.

The SMO tower sends him off with his tail number -- "Husky Niner Hotel Uniform" -- and gives him a personal code (squawk) of 0214 ... his identifying code for air traffic control. All good up to that point.

The trouble starts when Harrison radios back saying he's in a helicopter. He stutters a few times trying to correct his mistake and then throws out his tail number. The bigger problem is he's still talking to SMO tower, which had already turned over to another tower.

The controller tells Harrison he's on the wrong frequency, and reminds him he should be communicating with the other tower.

This is a photo of Harrison Ford landing on the taxiway Monday at John Wayne Airport ... and the person who took the pic says the actor was totally out of position seconds before he touched down.

The man who shot the photo had just arrived on a commercial flight and was looking out the terminal window waiting for a friend, when he saw Ford's plane coming in for a landing. He tells TMZ Ford had "completely misjudged the runway" and was not in position to land.

The man grabbed his phone to snap a pic, thinking the pilot might crash, when Ford "banked really sharp." He says the plane was "very close to the ground" when it banked and "hit hard" on the taxiway seconds later.

You see the ramp agent in the photo ... he seemed "shocked," according to the guy who took the pic.

The eyewitness account differs from the story that's being told that Ford simply mistook the taxiway for the runway.

Attention golfers in the Santa Monica area ... Harrison Ford is back in the air -- taking off in the cockpit of a chopper.

Two months after seriously injuring himself in a plane crash ... Ford went back to the Santa Monica Airport and flew shotgun for a helicopter ride on Thursday.

Han Solo was looking good as he strolled into the airport, showing no long-term effects from the plane wreck ... which literally went down a few blocks from the chopper launching pad.

Fact is, Ford probably got a birdseye view of the 8th hole of the golf course he tore up that day.

The NTSB hasn't released its investigation results yet -- but initial reports point to some kind of mechanical failure causing the crash.

Mel Gibson thinks Harrison Ford is supremely airworthy, despite a crash here and there.

Mel was leaving the grocery store Saturday in Malibu when we asked if he had enough confidence in Ford to soar with him. Mel didn't bat an eye, showing full confidence in the 72-year-old pilot.

Harrison Ford may be 72-years-old, but he's still airworthy -- even in a 70-year-old plane -- according to experienced pilots and mechanics who have personal knowledge of the actor's aviation skills.

We called around to various pilots who fly vintage aircraft, and several have had first-hand experience with Ford. They say his motor skills are good and he is thorough and professional when it comes to inspecting the planes he flies before takeoff to make sure they're airworthy.

There's no FAA rule that knocks a private pilot out of the air after a certain age, but all pilots over 40 must get evaluated every 2 years for vision, hearing, blood pressure and mental acuity. They also have to prove their flying skills.

Ford has logged 4,000 hours in the air with various aircraft. As for the one that crashed, however, some pilots have reservations, especially when it comes to the engine. The Kinner engine that quit on Harrison "isn't the most reliable," so claims a pilot who is very familiar with the aircraft. But several people we spoke with say the plane in question was well-maintained and "solid."

And the pilots we spoke with all said the proof of Ford's flying abilities were validated on a Venice golf course Thursday ... he laid it down as safely as possible, without an engine.

Local police and fire were dispatched en masse to the Harrison Ford crash scene Thursday afternoon and once they got to the scene, they deemed the legendary actor "critical."

TMZ has obtained the calls made by first responders as they rushed to rescue Ford after his plane crashed at the Penmar Golf Club shortly after takeoff from a nearby airport.

While Ford's condition was later upgraded, in the moments following the crash he was classified as "critical" on more than one occasion.

Santa Monica golfers can officially play through Harrison Ford's massive divot on the 8th hole ... the municipal course is open for play again ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Penmar Golf Course officials tell us they reopened as soon as Ford's wreckage was removed from the tee box for the 8th hole on Friday afternoon. We're told the damage to the course hasn't been fully repaired yet, but golfers are being told to treat it as a hazard.

Harrison Ford's airplane wreckage will no longer block golfers from getting to the next hole ... the World War 2 vintage plane has been hauled away.

The plane was craned onto a flatbed truck at Penmar Golf Club Friday ... and moved to a nearby hangar where NTSB investigators will continue combing over the remains of the PT-22.

Harrison Ford has always known the most important part of flying is the landing ... and we have the video to prove it.

Who knew the video would be so telling ... back in 2013, Colin, our D.C. photog. asked Dr. Jones for an aviation tip ... and he gave us a short, but right on the mark answer.

Following Thursday's near-tragic crash, Ford is being hailed by some as a hero for avoiding disaster and landing the plane on a golf course.

Three guys who were near the Santa Monica Airport freaked out as they watched Harrison Ford's plane go down seconds before it crashed.

It appears at least 2 of the men were movers, who were blocks from the airport when they looked up and saw Harrison's WWII plane gliding in ... with the engine stopped.

It's as if they're trying to will the plane to the airport ... rooting it on as it makes the glide.

Listen closely to the audio ... you never hear an engine noise, which reinforces their notion that the plane had no power.

TMZ has obtained video of Harrison Ford's WWII vintage plane, rumbling down the Santa Monica Airport runway ... just seconds before Ford realized something was seriously wrong with the aircraft.

A pilot who was taxiing to the runway spotted Ford's plane and shot the video, NOT because Harrison was piloting the plane. The other pilot just thought Ford's plane looked awesome ... he had no idea Ford was the pilot.

The pilot who shot the video says he waved at Ford, who returned the wave and then accelerated for takeoff.

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.