Harrison Ford has been injured and hospitalised after engine failure caused him to crash land his small aircraft on a golf course.

The Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor reportedly suffered a "huge gash" to his head in the accident, but is now claimed to be "stable" in hospital.

The 72-year-old was piloting his single-seater 1930 Ryan PT22 plane over Santa Monica in California when the engine cut-out, forcing him to attempt an emergency landing on a golf course close to the airport.

Newspaper The Mirror quoted a witness as saying: "He was talking a little and there was a huge gash on his head."

And golfer Elaine Miller, who saw the crash-landing, said: "He was able to speak, he expressed that he was in pain, which was no surprise.

"He had a significant head wound. He asked someone to hold his legs up, and people were just saying, 'you're okay, the fire department is on its way', and once police and fire started to arrive, my friends and I sort of backed away and went to the other side of the course to give them room."

The star's publicist issued a statement which read: "Harrison was flying a World War II 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.

"He was banged up and is in hospital receiving medical care. The injuries sustained are not life threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery."

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

And his proud son Ben Ford reassured his Twitter followers that the star was OK too.

He wrote: "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."

Ford has not had the best time of it over the last 12 months, breaking his leg on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in England last year.