Photo: David Becker / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Actor and musician Donnie Wahlberg experienced a frightening incident on Sunday (October 18) when the private jet he was aboard skidded off the runway at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The plane, which was en route to Toronto Pearson International Airport, struck a fence during an aborted takeoff, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Wahlberg, known for his role in "Blue Bloods" and as a member of the band "New Kids on the Block," shared his gratitude in a social media post, thanking God and the pilots for averting a disaster. "We were taking off and didn’t make it in the air, and ran out of runway," he said in a video. "These pilots saved our lives, and God covered us."
The incident occurred around 11 a.m., and no injuries were reported. The Fox News reported that Wahlberg expressed his appreciation for the emergency personnel who responded to the scene, stating, "Thankful to God, of course, and to our incredible pilots who did an amazing job of keeping us safe and avoiding a serious disaster."
The plane narrowly avoided several obstacles before hitting the fence, including trucks and heavy equipment. The airport temporarily closed two runways for inspection, leading to delays.
Wahlberg's wife, Jenny McCarthy, reacted to the incident on social media, echoing her husband's sentiments by writing, "God is so good!" The couple recently announced plans to move to Las Vegas.
The TMZ reported that air traffic control audio captured the tense moments, with the pilot urgently saying, "Aborting, aborting," as the takeoff went wrong. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.