Donnie Wahlberg's jet skids off Las Vegas runway, no one hurt
A private jet carrying Donnie Wahlberg skidded off a runway and hit a fence at Las Vegas' Harry Reid airport on Sunday after an aborted takeoff, CBS Boston, the New York Post and People reported. Eight people were on board and no one was hurt. Wahlberg said "these pilots saved our lives."
A private jet carrying actor and singer Donnie Wahlberg skidded off a runway and hit a perimeter fence at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport on Sunday, CBS Boston, the New York Post and People reported.
Eight people were on board the jet, which was headed to Toronto shortly before 11 AM when the pilot aborted takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, CBS Boston and People reported. The plane was a Dassault Falcon 50 bound for Toronto Pearson Airport, People and the New York Post reported. It was departing from Runway 1L, the New York Post reported.
The airport said no one was injured, CBS Boston reported. The incident caused a ground stop at the airport while the runway was inspected, CBS Boston reported. The FAA said the cause of the aborted takeoff is under investigation, CBS Boston reported.
"We were taking off and didn't get up in the air and ran out of runway," Wahlberg said in a video he posted on Instagram, CBS Boston, the New York Post and People reported. "These pilots saved our lives and God covered us because I'm not sure how many fences we avoided but we didn't avoid the last one," he said. He said the pilots avoided trucks and heavy equipment nearby, CBS Boston reported.
"It was me and my team/friends onboard the aircraft. It was a rather intense few moments," Wahlberg wrote, according to People. "The airplane did take some lumps, but we did not," he wrote, People reported.
Patrick Smith, a Boston-based commercial pilot, said his review of preliminary data showed the plane reached 130 mph before aborting takeoff, CBS Boston reported. "There are a lot of unknowns," he said, according to CBS Boston. He questioned whether the decision to stop came late or whether a malfunction affected the plane's braking, CBS Boston reported.
Wahlberg, 57, stars in "Boston Blue" on CBS, People and CBS Boston reported. He was leaving Las Vegas after New Kids on the Block wrapped a 40-show residency on Saturday, the New York Post reported, citing TMZ.
What we know: The jet skidded off the runway after an aborted takeoff, and the eight people aboard were not hurt.
What we don't: Why the takeoff was aborted, which the FAA is investigating.
Where outlets agree CBS Boston, the New York Post and People report that Wahlberg's private jet skidded off the Las Vegas runway after an aborted takeoff and that no one was hurt.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.