Donnie Wahlberg is crediting his pilots with averting a disaster after a private jet carrying him skidded off a Las Vegas runway.
The 57-year-old singer and actor was aboard the aircraft during an aborted takeoff at Harry Reid International Airport on Sunday, October 18. Nobody was injured.
The Dassault Falcon 50 was bound for Toronto Pearson International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to PEOPLE.
Wahlberg said members of his team and friends were traveling with him. In a message to supporters, he described an intense few moments that seemed to last much longer from inside the plane.
Donnie Wahlberg Thanks the Pilots for Saving Everyone on Board
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Wahlberg initially recorded his video for relatives and friends, then shared it publicly on Instagram that evening after receiving concerned calls and texts. He explained that he considered many of his followers part of his extended family.
Standing near the aircraft, he pointed toward trucks, heavy equipment and dumpsters that the plane had avoided. “These pilots saved our lives,” he said, crediting their actions and his faith for getting him through the emergency.
He recalled praying and looking out the window as he realized the jet would not become airborne. In the accompanying caption, he also thanked the emergency personnel who responded on the ground, according to Entertainment Weekly. The aircraft had sustained damage during the incident.
Airport Closes Two Runways for Inspection
At approximately 11 a.m., upon departure, a general aviation aircraft skid off runway 1L at LAS and made contact with the perimeter fence. There are no known injuries at this time. Runways 1R and 1L will be closed for inspection, and travelers may experience some delays. We will…
Harry Reid International Airport (@LASairport) October 18, 2026
Airport officials placed the incident at approximately 11 a.m. and identified Runway 1L as the departure runway. Both that runway and neighboring Runway 1R were temporarily closed while crews conducted inspections.
The jet’s left wingtip struck the perimeter fence, airport officials told Aviation Week. The publication reported that the aircraft continued moving before looping back and stopping near the adjacent runway’s overrun area.
The FAA imposed a ground stop, holding affected flights bound for Las Vegas at their departure airports. PEOPLE reported that the restriction began at 12:50 p.m. and had been lifted by 2:30 p.m.
Before the restriction ended, flights headed to Harry Reid were experiencing average departure delays of one hour and 10 minutes, according to FAA information reported by FOX5 Las Vegas. Both runways subsequently reopened following inspections. The FAA said it would investigate. The reason the crew aborted takeoff remains undetermined.
Wahlberg Had Just Finished His Las Vegas Residency
New Kids on the Block had performed the final scheduled show of “The Right Stuff” at Dolby Live inside Park MGM on October 17, the night before Wahlberg’s flight.
The group’s lineup includes Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood alongside Wahlberg. The residency’s final stretch included eight October dates, according to Park MGM’s schedule.
Before the attempted departure, Wahlberg had posted a selfie from his seat aboard the aircraft to Instagram Stories. The photograph carried the words, “His love is eternal.”
Wahlberg and his wife, Jenny McCarthy, have also been planning to make Las Vegas their home. McCarthy confirmed the move in September after the couple listed their longtime Illinois property for sale. They have been married since 2014.
Jenny McCarthy Responds as Wahlberg Prays With the Pilots
“God is so good!!!!” McCarthy wrote beneath her husband’s video, adding prayer and heart emojis. Singer Montell Jordan and actress Kristin Chenoweth also left messages of relief and support.
Wahlberg later shared an Instagram Story photograph showing him gathered in prayer with three pilots. In its follow-up report, PEOPLE described his message thanking them for their courage and steady hands.