Donnie Wahlberg’s Private Plane Skids off Runway in ‘Intense’ Moment at Las Vegas Airport, Says ‘These Pilots Saved Our Lives’

Charlotte Phillipp, Adam EnglandMon, October 19, 2026 at 11:43 AM UTC

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Donnie Wahlberg, Harry Reid International Airport.Credit: Santiago Felipe/GettyThe ‘Boston Blue’ star was on the aircraft when it went off the runway at the Harry Reid International Airport on Oct. 18 -

Donnie Wahlberg was on board a private jet that skidded off the runway at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport on Oct. 18

“It was a rather intense few moments,” Wahlberg said, addressing the incident on Instagram hours after the incident. “The airplane did take some lumps — but we did not”

The plane — a Dassault Falcon 50 bound for Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada — had eight people on board when the pilot aborted a takeoff and went off the runway, per the FAA

Donnie Wahlberg was on board a private jet that skidded off the runway at Las Vegas’ main airport this weekend.

The Boston Bluestar, 57, was on the aircraft at Harry Reid International Airport at around 11 a.m. local time Sunday, Oct. 18, PEOPLE can confirm.

Addressing the incident on Instagram hours later, Wahlberg said in a video, “We were taking off and didn’t get up in the air and ran out of runway. I’m just going to tell you these pilots saved our lives. And God covered us... We just finished praying, and I looked out the window and said, we are not getting up in the air today. But we’re safe and thankful and all is well.”

He confirmed that the aircraft went off the runway into a fence, but said it was able to avoid “heavy” airport vehicles and equipment.

Donnie Wahlberg in Los Angeles on May 7, 2025Credit: UNIQUE NICOLE/AFP via Getty

In Wahlberg’s caption, the actor said he’d first sent the video to family and friends to let them know he was okay, but explained, “so many of you all are my family too so I figured I’d share with you.”

“It was me and my team/friends onboard the aircraft. It was a rather intense few moments,” he wrote. “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 airplane did take some lumps — but we did not.”

“Thank you to all the emergency personnel on the ground in Las Vegas! You all were absolutely wonderful,” he added.

The plane — a Dassault Falcon 50 bound for Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada — had eight people on board when the pilot aborted the takeoff and went off the runway, causing the plane to skid into the fence, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to PEOPLE.

An air traffic control recording posted to TikTok appears to capture the moments after the aircraft’s takeoff was halted. In the recording, a voice can be heard saying, “Aborting. Aborting,” before the controller confirmed emergency vehicles were on their way and asked whether there were any injuries.

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Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Aug. 8, 2025Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty

The airport confirmed in a statement shared on social media that there were no known injuries, and two of the facility’s runways would be closed for inspection.

A ground stop was put in place at the airport at 12:50 p.m., but it was lifted by 2:30 p.m.

“Travelers may experience some delays. We will provide updates as more information becomes available,” the airport said at the time.

Wahlberg, who had just performed with New Kids on the Block for the final show of the boy band’s Las Vegas residency on Saturday, Oct. 17, posted a photo of himself on the plane prior to the incident.

The casual selfie shared on his Instagram Stories showed the actor and musician sitting in his seat. The words, “His love is eternal,” were written across the photo.

Donnie Wahlberg’s Instagram Stories post.Credit: Donnie Wahlberg/Instagram

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PEOPLE reached out to Wahlberg’s team for comment on Oct. 18.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said, “We have no information to share at this time.”

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”