Donnie Wahlberg is giving glory to God after a frightening attempted takeoff left his private jet damaged but everyone aboard safe.
The actor and New Kids on the Block singer was leaving Las Vegas on Sunday following a concert when the aircraft veered off a runway at Harry Reid International Airport and struck a perimeter fence, Breitbart reported. Wahlberg and seven others were aboard.
“We were taking off and didn’t get up in the air and ran out of runway,” Wahlberg said in a video shared on Instagram. “I’m just going to tell you these pilots saved our lives. God covered us.”
Airport officials confirmed that the aircraft left Runway 1L at approximately 11 a.m. and made contact with the fence. The airport reported no known injuries.
Wahlberg described the experience as “a rather intense few moments, which felt like a few long minutes.” He said the aircraft narrowly missed trucks and other heavy equipment before coming to a stop.
Amid the frightening experience, Wahlberg said he had just finished praying.
“God is good,” he said. “I just finished praying, and I looked out the window and said, ‘We’re not going up in the air today, but we’re safe and thankful.’ All is good. Praise Jesus.”
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In his accompanying caption, Wahlberg thanked those who had reached out with concern and credited the pilots with preventing a much worse outcome.
“Thankful to God, of course, and to our incredible pilots who did an amazing job of keeping us safe and avoiding a serious disaster,” he wrote. “The airplane did take some lumps — but we did not.”
He also thanked emergency personnel who responded at the airport, calling them “absolutely wonderful.”
“All glory to God!” Wahlberg wrote. “By His grace, we are all ok.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
