Falcon 50 Overruns Runway in Las Vegas

Actor Donnie Wahlberg was among eight people aboard the business jet, which struck an airport perimeter fence after an aborted takeoff.

Falcon 50 Overruns Runway in Las Vegas
[Credit: Clark County Department of Aviation]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A private jet carrying actor Donnie Wahlberg and seven others overran a runway at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas after pilots aborted takeoff.
  • The aircraft struck a perimeter fence, but fortunately, no injuries were reported among the eight people on board.
  • The incident caused temporary runway closures and a ground stop at the airport, leading to flight delays for arriving traffic.
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A Dassault Falcon 50 carrying actor and singer Donnie Wahlberg and seven others overran a runway at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Sunday after its pilots aborted takeoff. The aircraft struck a perimeter fence, prompting runway closures and a temporary ground stop at the airport. No injuries were reported.

Jet Strikes Perimeter Fence

“At approximately 11 a.m., upon departure, a general aviation aircraft skid off runway 1L at LAS and made contact with the perimeter fence,” airport officials said in a statement posted Sunday.

The aircraft was bound for Toronto Pearson International Airport when the crew aborted takeoff. Wahlberg later confirmed that members of his team were also aboard. Officials have not determined what prompted the aborted takeoff.

Ground Stop Disrupts Airport Operations

“We were taking off and didn’t get up in the air and ran out of runway,” Wahlberg said in an Instagram video shared after the incident.

Wahlberg credited the pilots for preventing more serious consequences and said the aircraft avoided nearby trucks and heavy equipment before striking the fence.

Following the incident, airport officials closed Runways 1L and 1R for inspection, while the FAA temporarily halted arriving traffic. According to FOX5 Las Vegas, affected arrivals experienced average delays of approximately 70 minutes before the ground stop was lifted and both runways reopened.

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
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