Donnie Wahlberg's Plane Emergency Audio Released — and the 2 Words Spoken in the Cockpit Tell the Whole Story

Donnie Wahlberg's private jet never made it into the air in Las Vegas. Newly released audio captures the urgent cockpit transmission as the takeoff unraveled.

The recording documents air traffic controllers sending emergency crews toward the aircraft and checking whether anyone was hurt. But one brief transmission stands apart from everything that followed.

Wahlberg and seven others escaped without injury after the jet went beyond the runway and hit a perimeter fence. What was said moments earlier reveals just how suddenly the routine departure changed.

New Audio Captures the Emergency

The incident unfolded Sunday, October 18, at Harry Reid International Airport, hours after Wahlberg's final scheduled October performance with New Kids on the Block's Las Vegas residency.

Eight passengers braced for impact as the twin-engine aircraft failed to lift off, leaving airport officials and devoted fans holding their breath for answers about the harrowing incident.

No one aboard was injured. Now, an air traffic control recording obtained by TMZ provides a stark audio account of the intense chaos inside the cockpit, where a rapid decision determined the fate of everyone on board.

The recording begins with the jet still in the middle of its attempted departure. Then comes the transmission that captures the critical change in just two words. "Aborting, aborting." A voice believed to be the pilot delivers the message urgently as the takeoff goes wrong.

Controllers Send Emergency Crews

Air traffic control dispatched emergency vehicles as the situation developed. Controllers also began checking on the aircraft and asking whether anyone aboard had been injured. At the same time, the tower still had other aircraft to manage.

Another plane was warned about delays as controllers dealt with the emergency on Runway 1L. The communications capture controllers repeatedly seeking information about possible injuries while emergency vehicles were sent toward Wahlberg's jet.

Everyone aboard ultimately survived without injury. The audio does not answer the biggest unresolved technical question: why the pilots abandoned the takeoff.

That remains separate from what the recording does establish. The crew rejected the departure, the aircraft went beyond the runway, and emergency personnel were dispatched as controllers checked on those aboard.

The Jet Never Became Airborne

The failed departure happened around 11 a.m. local time, less than a day after Wahlberg had been onstage with New Kids on the Block. The group performed at Dolby Live at Park MGM on Saturday, October 17, for the last of its eight scheduled October residency performances.

By the following morning, Wahlberg was preparing to leave Las Vegas when the attempted flight ended on airport property. The Dassault Falcon 50 was carrying Wahlberg and seven other people. Instead of taking off, the aircraft continued past the runway and ultimately hit a perimeter fence.

Airport officials closed Runways 1L and 1R for inspections following the incident, warning that the disruption could cause delays. The Federal Aviation Administration's ground stop was later lifted, and both runways reopened after inspections.

While normal airport operations could resume, the cause of the rejected takeoff remained undetermined. The newly released recording does not solve that mystery. Instead, it captures the point at which the crew's priority abruptly changed from getting airborne to stopping the aircraft.

And outside the cockpit and control tower, people near the airport were witnessing the same incident from a very different vantage point.

Among them were Jeff and Jacqui Jackson, a visiting couple who heard startling sounds and watched the jet race toward the end of the runway. Their connection to Wahlberg, however, would make what they had just witnessed even more remarkable.

A Startling Sound Sends a Witness Ducking for Cover

Jeff and Jacqui Jackson were visiting Las Vegas from Atlanta, Georgia, when they witnessed the aircraft skid at Harry Reid International Airport.

At about 10:50 a.m. Sunday, the couple were touring a timeshare condominium near Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road when they suddenly heard what sounded like gunshots.

"We heard the gunshot sounds, and I tried to hit the deck and start praying. I didn't know what was going on," Jacqui told 8 News Now.

It was Jeff and Jacqui's first visit to Las Vegas, and the couple were in town celebrating Jacqui's birthday. As the scene unfolded nearby, Jeff watched the aircraft reach the end of the runway.

"They were still going pretty fast when they reached the end of the runway," he said. "When they made that turn, I was really surprised at how quickly the airplane was able to turn without turning up on its side."

The plane narrowly missed several gates and construction equipment. But the Jacksons would soon discover an extraordinary coincidence.

They Had Seen Wahlberg Just Hours Earlier

The couple was not simply tourists who happened to witness Wahlberg's plane skid off the runway. They had gone to see him perform the previous night.

Jeff and Jacqui attended New Kids on the Block's Saturday night show in Las Vegas as part of Jacqui's birthday celebration. And Jacqui said Wahlberg had even noticed her from the stage.

"The night before I had my sign up and [Wahlberg] pointed at me," she recalled. "I got the New Kids On The Block point for my birthday!" Hours later, the couple found themselves watching the runway incident without knowing Wahlberg was aboard the aircraft.

They subsequently learned that the plane they had seen was carrying the same singer Jacqui had watched from the audience the night before. What the Jacksons witnessed from outside, however, was only one perspective on those tense moments.

Wahlberg later described what happened from inside the aircraft, revealing the obstacles he said the pilots managed to avoid before the jet finally stopped. His wife, Jenny McCarthy, would also respond publicly as further details emerged about just how the failed departure unfolded.

As we previously reported, Wahlberg, 57, was among eight people aboard a Dassault Falcon 50 when the aircraft ran off the runway at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 18.

According to People, the "Boston Blue" star was traveling on a private jet bound for Toronto Pearson Airport when the departure went wrong around 11 a.m. local time.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the pilot aborted the takeoff before the aircraft left the runway and struck a perimeter fence. The agency did not identify what prompted the decision.

The incident came less than a day after Wahlberg's final scheduled October performance with New Kids on the Block in Las Vegas.

Wahlberg's Final October Las Vegas Show Before the Runway Incident

On Saturday, October 17, Wahlberg performed with New Kids on the Block at Dolby Live at Park MGM as part of the group's "The Right Stuff" residency.

According to Park MGM's official schedule, the concert was scheduled for 8 p.m. and marked the last of eight October performances.

The band's official website also listed a post-show gathering, "QT with DW: Post-Show Hang with Donnie," at The Reserve Bar inside Park MGM. The event was restricted to fans ages 21 and older.

The listing did not establish when Wahlberg left the venue.

The October concerts were part of an extended residency announced in November 2025. According to an MGM Resorts press release, New Kids on the Block added 16 dates for 2026, bringing the year's scheduled performances to 24.

Wahlberg welcomed the extension, praising the atmosphere at Dolby Live and the connection between the band and its fans, known as Blockheads.

The residency also featured production elements that would be difficult to accommodate on a traditional tour, including elaborate lighting and opportunities for audience interaction.

The following morning, Wahlberg was preparing to leave Las Vegas when his flight to Toronto ended before takeoff.

Two Las Vegas Runways Closed After Wahlberg's Jet Hit a Fence

Harry Reid International Airport confirmed that the aircraft overran Runway 1L and struck the airport's perimeter fence.

In a statement posted on X, officials announced that Runways 1L and 1R would close for inspection. They warned travelers that the closures could cause delays.

The airport also reported no known injuries at the time of its initial statement. As crews inspected the affected area, air traffic controllers adjusted operations to accommodate other flights.

The Pilot's Two-Word Transmission as the Emergency Unfolded

An air traffic control recording shared on TikTok by @alwaysliveatc captured a brief transmission attributed to the pilot during the failed departure.

The recording did not reveal what prompted the crew to reject the takeoff. The tower's subsequent communications, however, showed controllers checking on the aircraft and coordinating assistance.

The controller then addressed the emergency response: "November, zero Sierra Golf, we got the emergency vehicles on the way now."

Another exchange captured controllers working to gather information while managing other traffic. "So, as soon as we get that figured out, I'll have some information for you," a controller said.

The recordings document the tower's efforts to respond to the overrun while directing aircraft elsewhere at the airport. Determining what happened will require investigators to examine evidence beyond the publicly available audio.

An Aviation Expert Estimates the Jet's Speed During the Aborted Takeoff

Pilot and aviation expert Reed Yadon told News 3 Las Vegas that the Dassault Falcon 50 was likely traveling at considerable speed when the pilots rejected the takeoff.

His estimate highlighted the challenge of stopping the aircraft before it reached the airport's perimeter.

"It should have been doing close to 150 miles an hour at the time of the incident," Yadon said. "That's pretty fast, and to get that aircraft stopped in that distance, that's pretty good."

The figure was Yadon's estimate, not a confirmed measurement of the jet's speed.

Despite the runway overrun, Yadon praised the pilots and airport personnel for their handling of the emergency. "In the scheme of things, this was about as - it was textbook. Everybody did what they should," he said.

Although Yadon praised the pilots' response, he said investigators would examine both mechanical issues and human factors to determine what caused the aborted takeoff.

"Was the cause within the aircraft, or was it a human failure?" he said. "They'll look at both, go over training records, go over all the maintenance records on the aircraft."

Yadon also identified recordings that could help reconstruct the incident. "And they have a cockpit voice recorder in the aircraft, so they have a lot of data," he said. "They'll have security cameras from Harry Reid."

While investigators examine the circumstances of the overrun, Wahlberg has described what he witnessed as the aircraft traveled beyond the runway.

Wahlberg Describes the Runway Incident as Jenny McCarthy Reacts

Wahlberg later shared an Instagram video recounting his experience aboard the aircraft. Standing outside near the airport, he filmed himself with aircraft and airport vehicles visible in the background.

"We're all okay, I'm okay," Wahlberg began.

He explained that the attempted departure had ended before the jet became airborne. "We, uh, we're taking off and didn't get up in the air," Wahlberg said, adding that the aircraft had run out of runway.

As he spoke, the actor turned toward the surrounding area and pointed into the distance, indicating where the incident had unfolded.

Wahlberg described several obstacles along the aircraft's path, including fences that he said the jet had passed before coming to a stop. "I'm not sure how many fences we avoided, but we didn't avoid the last one," he said.

He also mentioned trucks, heavy equipment, and dumpsters that he said the aircraft had avoided. Wahlberg credited the pilots with saving the lives of those aboard.

The actor then recalled a moment of prayer and his realization that the flight would not proceed. "We just finished praying, and I looked out the window," Wahlberg said.

He remembered his reaction as the aircraft continued along the ground. "We are not going up in the air today," he recalled saying.

In the caption accompanying his video, Wahlberg explained that news of the incident had prompted concerned messages and texts. He had originally recorded the video for friends and family, but decided to share it publicly after hearing from his followers.

"Yes, it was me and my team/friends onboard the aircraft," Wahlberg wrote.

He also described how the experience felt from inside the jet. "It was a rather intense few moments (which felt like a few long minutes)," he wrote.

Wahlberg expressed gratitude toward the flight crew in his caption. "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.

He also acknowledged the airport workers who responded to the emergency. "Thank you to all the emergency personnel on the ground in Las Vegas! You all were absolutely wonderful," Wahlberg wrote.

Wahlberg also shared an Instagram Story showing him gathered closely with three men who appeared to be members of the flight crew.

In the photo, the men stood together on the airport grounds, with one placing an arm around another's shoulders. An airport operations vehicle was parked nearby, with the Las Vegas skyline visible in the background.

The Story included a prayer in which Wahlberg thanked God for keeping him and his friends safe. He also expressed gratitude for the men's efforts during the emergency and described praying with them afterward.

Despite the damage to the aircraft, Wahlberg reassured his followers about the outcome. "The airplane did take some lumps — but we did not," he wrote.

His wife, Jenny McCarthy, was among those who reacted publicly to his Instagram post. "God is so good!!!!" McCarthy commented, followed by prayer-hand and heart emojis.

Wahlberg concluded his caption with a final message of faith and reassurance. "All glory to God! By His grace, we are all ok," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Harry Reid International Airport confirmed that operations had begun returning to normal. In a separate update on X, officials announced that the FAA's ground stop had been lifted and that Runways 1L and 1R had reopened following inspections.

While the airport disruption had been resolved, the cause of the aborted takeoff remained undetermined.