Newly published air traffic control audio is bringing Donnie Wahlberg's frightening Las Vegas plane emergency into sharper focus. The recording captures an urgent exchange as a private jet carrying the actor and singer aborted its takeoff, with emergency crews dispatched to the scene.
TMZ published the audio Monday, October 19, following the previous day's incident at Harry Reid International Airport. In the recording, a voice believed to be the aircraft's pilot says, "Aborting, aborting." Controllers coordinate the response, alert another aircraft to delays, and ask whether anyone aboard has been injured.
Wahlberg, 57, had already shared his own account on Instagram, assuring followers that he and the others aboard were safe. Describing the failed departure, he said the plane never became airborne and continued beyond the runway, eventually striking a fence.
"These pilots saved our lives," he said, also expressing his faith with the words, "God covered us." His message credited the flight crew and emergency personnel while conveying relief that everyone had escaped injury.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. Sunday, October 18. Airport officials confirmed that an aircraft departing Runway 1L left the pavement and made contact with a perimeter fence. No injuries were reported, and two runways temporarily closed for inspections before reopening.
According to ABC News, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that eight people were aboard the Dassault Falcon 50, which was scheduled to fly to Toronto Pearson Airport. The agency said it was investigating the incident. The disruption also prompted a temporary ground stop and flight delays at the Las Vegas airport.
The newly released recording adds the sound of the emergency response to Wahlberg's personal account, but it does not establish why the takeoff failed. That question remains separate from the passengers' reassuring outcome and the actor's praise for the pilots.
For Wahlberg, the ordeal followed a performance with New Kids on the Block the night before. A weekend onstage ended with an unexpected airport emergency-and a public expression of gratitude for the people who helped keep those aboard safe.
Watch and hear the air traffic control audio published by TMZ.
