Check out this excellent article by Adjua over at Coffee With Kenobi where he explains in details the run down of the situation. This piece comes form a place of knowledge, as Adjua is a pilot himself.
We won’t know exactly what occurred in this accident until the NTSB’s final report is generated, which (thank the Maker) will include Harrison Ford’s own input, but it appears he either lost engine power, or encountered a total engine failure shortly after takeoff. As a pilot of General Aviation aircraft since 2008, with commercial ratings in both single and multi-engine aircraft, I’ve practiced quite a number of engine failure emergencies while under the tutelage of competent flight instructors — during the takeoff roll, upon lift-off, while out over practice zones at altitude, coming in for landings, and in flight simulators. Many of these scenarios are introduced very early in a student pilot’s training, as one must conduct their first solo flight approximately half-way through their initial training, generally with only 20 hours of flying under their belt. By the time one matriculates into commercial pilot training, the same competency must be demonstrated while operating more complicated aircraft, and with greater precision. No credible FAA designated examiner will certify a pilot without demonstrating mastery of these skills (when it comes to multi-engine aircraft, part of the exam requires single-engine operation with one engine turned off, then successfully restarting while in the air).
