It was not human error that caused the crash of the vintage plane of actor Harrison Ford who was in the pilot's seat when the accident occurred last March. According to NBC News, the problem was with a carburetor part, specifically the main metering jet. It became loose due to lack of maintenance and thus allowed too much fuel to flow, which in turn, caused the loss of engine power.
The report from the National Transportation Safety Board said, 'There was no record of maintenance personnel inspecting the carburetor jets during the previous 17 years nor was there a requirement to do so.'
The vintage plane was a 1942 single engine Ryan Aeronautical ST-3KR. Ford has just taken off from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, was up to 1,100 feet when the plane lost power. Immediately, the actor requested to return to the airport, but when he was steering the plane, he figured it would not make it to the runway. Instead, it crashed into the trees in a nearby golf course and landed in an open area. The aircraft was badly damaged, and Ford had serious injuries, but nobody on the ground was hurt. According to the investigation, the actor's injuries may have been compounded by the improperly installed shoulder harness.
Ford, 72, could not recall the last few moments before the crash, but when he was brought to the hospital for treatment, he was found to be doing fine. His son, Benjamin, posted on social media that his father was battered but doing okay.
The 'Indiana Jones' star has been a licensed pilot since the 1990's. He is a pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. He has provided, in some occasions, emergency helicopter services to local authorities when requested.
More than his rescue missions, he is also the chairman of the Young Eagles program of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). He has flown more than 280 children so far, as part of their exposure training.
