LAS VEGAS — Actor and New Kids on the Block singer Donnie Wahlberg is speaking out following a terrifying brush with death on Sunday, revealing he was a passenger on a private aircraft that suffered a failed takeoff at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Wahlberg broke the news to his fans through an Instagram video posted shortly after the incident. In the footage, a visibly shaken but relieved Wahlberg confirmed that everyone on board the flight survived the harrowing ordeal, which saw their plane fail to achieve lift-off before running out of runway.
“We’re all OK. I’m OK,” Wahlberg said in the video message. “We were taking off and didn’t get up in the air and ran out of runway.”
The singer went on to praise the quick thinking of the flight crew, attributing their survival to the pilots’ decisive actions. “These pilots saved our lives,” he stated. “I’m not sure how many fences we avoided, but we didn’t avoid the last one. But we avoided those trucks and heavy equipment and the dumpsters behind that.”
The incident prompted an immediate response from airport authorities. In a statement released Sunday, Harry Reid International Airport confirmed that a general aviation aircraft skidded off Runway 1L during a departure attempt, eventually making contact with a perimeter fence. Airport officials reported no injuries among those involved, though the incident necessitated a temporary closure of both runways 1R and 1L for safety inspections, resulting in widespread flight delays for other travelers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the mishap. According to federal officials, the aircraft involved was a Dassault Falcon 50 with eight people on board. The plane had been scheduled to depart for Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada before the takeoff attempt went awry.
While airport officials did not explicitly name the passengers in their initial public statements, the details align with Wahlberg’s personal account of the event. The airport confirmed that after a thorough inspection of the runways, operations were restored to normal status by Sunday evening.
Wahlberg’s update provided a sense of relief to his fanbase, as the star emphasized the gravity of the narrow escape. By avoiding heavy ground equipment and obstacles beyond the runway, the crew managed to contain what could have been a catastrophic accident.
As of Monday, the FAA’s investigation into the cause of the aborted takeoff is ongoing. The agency typically examines factors including mechanical performance, environmental conditions, and pilot procedures during such incidents to determine why the aircraft was unable to become airborne before reaching the end of the runway. Neither the aircraft operator nor representatives for Wahlberg have provided further details regarding the flight’s specific technical failure.
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
