Now for what dominated the news cycle yesterday. Han Solo crashed landed the Millennium Falcon on golf course. Or something like that.

Courtesy of USA Today:  

Harrison Ford was injured Thursday afternoon when his vintage single-engine airplane crashed on a golf course shortly after taking off from Santa Monica Airport. 

The actor and private pilot reported engine failure and requested an immediate return about 2:25 p.m. PT, according to his conversation with air-traffic controllers. He failed to reach the runway, crash-landing instead on the approach to the 8th tee. 

"Harrison was flying a WW2 vintage plane today which had engine trouble upon take off. He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely,'' Ford's publicist Ina Treciokas said in an emailed statement. 

"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," she said. 

There was no fire. The open-cockpit plane was painted with vintage markings and looked as if it could have come from one of the movies in which Ford played adventurer Indiana Jones. 

"Dad is ok. Battered, but ok!" Ford's son, Ben, a chef in Los Angeles, tweeted from the hospital. "He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man."

After I found out that Ford was okay I have to admit that my very next thought was "Damn I hope he already filmed all of his scenes for the new Star Wars movie." Because you know I am so selfless and every thing.

However I really was concerned, as Harrison Ford has been in some of my favorite movies ever, and I am a big fan.

But even that concern did not make me a little frustrated that almost half of yesterday's news was focused solely on this one incident. And that was after the first half of the day was focused on another plane mishap at LaGuardia Airport.

Look I think that both of these events were newsworthy and warranted some coverage, but not nearly the amount that they received.

Having said that once I learned that Harrison Ford was relatively okay, I thought back to this scene from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

I know, I know, I'm going to hell.

777 jetliner crash lands in San Fransisco. Update!

Photo courtesy of Twitter

Courtesy of CBS News:  

An Asiana Airlines flight from Seoul, South Korea, with more than 300 people aboard crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, littering the runway with debris, and forcing passengers to jump down the emergency inflatable slides to safety. 

San Francisco Fire Department told CBS News that two people were killed. At least 73 people have been taken to area hospitals for injuries, some critically. San Francisco General said they have received 10 of the critically injured, including two children. 

A spokesperson for San Francisco General said most, if not all, of the passengers taken to the hospital are Korean-speaking. We are working to get interpreters for them," she said, "but they are quite critically injured so there is not a lot of discussion with them at this time." 

Early reports indicate that Asiana Airlines Flight 214 made a hard landing, with the tail of the plane striking the runway and breaking off. 

The resulting fire sent black smoke billowing into the air, visible for miles.

I believe this  is the first serious jetliner crash we have had in this country for about ten years.

For somebody like me who hates to fly anyhow this is the stuff of nightmares.

Update: Here is video footage taken minutes after it landed. Update 2: There are sixty passengers unaccounted for. This could be very, very bad.

Update 3: Last fatal crash in America was in 2009. I stand corrected.

Early reports do NOT indicate terrorism.

Breaking news! Plane crashes near Dillingham, Senator Ted Stevens may have been aboard. Update!

From ADN:

Severe weather has hampered the rescue operation for eight people believed to be on board a GCI-owned aircraft that crashed near Dillingham on Monday night with possible fatalities, according to state and federal officials.

Friends of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens said he was traveling Monday to the GCI-owned Agulowak Lodge near Lake Aleknagik, and they were concerned for him.

A woman who answered the phone at the Anchorage home of retired Air Force Gen. Joe Ralston, a good friend of Stevens, said Ralston was with Stevens' wife, Catherine, comforting her and trying to find out what was going on.

No one answered the phone at the homes of Stevens' daughter, Susan Covich, in Kenai, or his son, Ben, in Anchorage.

From KTUU:

Numerous sources feared former Sen. Ted Stevens was on board the flight, but officials have not been able to confirm that.

A woman who answered the phone at former State Sen. Ben Stevens' home said they would not comment.

Not to jump to any conclusions here, but the fact that the woman at Ben Steven's house would not comment does not exactly put anybody's mind to rest that Senator Stevens is okay.

I will update as more information becomes available.

Update: Five confirmed dead, no word on status of former Senator Ted Stevens thus far.