A private plane carrying actor Morgan Freeman and his pilot blew a tyre while taking off from a Mississippi airport and had to make an emergency landing. No one was hurt.

Mayor Bill Luckett of nearby Clarksdale, a longtime friend of the 78-year-old Oscar-winning actor, said the plane made what he described as a controlled forced landing just before dark on Saturday at an airport in Tunica after it had taken off from Clarksdale.

One sheriff’s official said the plane went off the runway after landing.

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Freeman issued a statement saying he was heading to Texas from Mississippi aboard his plane Saturday to shoot a segment for the series, The Story of God.

“Sometimes things don’t go as planned and a tyre blew on take-off, which caused other problems,” Freeman said in the statement sent by his publicist.

“But thanks to my excellent pilot Jimmy Hobson we landed safely without a scratch.”

“I cannot say the same about my plane,” Freeman added in the statement, which didn’t elaborate on the condition of the aircraft after the unexpected landing.

“I appreciate the concern and prayers for our safety.”

The Clarksdale mayor said another plane went to Tunica to pick up the actor, who was originally bound for Houston. Freeman has a home in Mississippi.

Freeman is known for his roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, Seven, and Invictus.

He has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby.