It was August 2018. Post Malone was riding the kind of high most artists only dream of. He’d just finished a massive performance at the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He jumped on a private Gulfstream IV jet headed for London. Then, everything went sideways.
Most people remember the headlines, but the actual Post Malone plane crash scare was much more technical and terrifying than a simple "oops" moment. It wasn't a crash in the sense of hitting the ground at full speed, thank God. But for several hours, it looked like it might be.
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The jet took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Almost immediately, things felt wrong. Two of the plane's tires blew out during takeoff. You might think, "It’s a plane, it has plenty of wheels," but at high speeds with a heavy fuel load, a blown tire is a nightmare.
The Five-Hour Nightmare Over the Atlantic
The pilot realized the issue fast. He couldn't just turn around and land. Why? Because the plane was heavy. Really heavy. To land safely with compromised landing gear, you have to dump or burn off thousands of gallons of fuel. If you don't, the weight of the impact will likely cause the landing gear to collapse entirely, or worse, the sparks from the metal-on-asphalt friction will ignite the remaining fuel.
So, Posty and his crew circled. And circled. And circled.
They spent roughly five hours in the air. Can you imagine that? Knowing your tires are shredded and just waiting for the fuel gauge to drop low enough so the pilot can attempt a "controlled" emergency landing. Malone later admitted he was terrified. He started texting his family and friends. He thought that was it. He was basically saying his goodbyes while circling over Connecticut and New York.
The Technical Failure
The Gulfstream IV is a workhorse of the private aviation world, but it isn’t invincible. When those tires blew, debris flew everywhere. One of the major concerns during the Post Malone plane crash incident wasn't just the missing rubber; it was whether that rubber had been sucked into the engines or damaged the hydraulic lines.
The pilots were incredible. They stayed calm, communicated with the FAA, and eventually diverted to Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York. Why Stewart? Because it has a massive runway—nearly 12,000 feet long. They needed every inch of that pavement to slow down without relying heavily on traditional braking that might spark a fire.
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Why People Still Talk About This Today
Social media went absolutely nuclear while the plane was still in the air. Flight tracking apps like FlightRadar24 saw record traffic as thousands of fans watched a tiny icon of a plane circle in loops. It felt like a slow-motion tragedy.
When the plane finally touched down, it was surprisingly smooth. No fire. No explosion. Just a lot of smoke and a very relieved rock star.
Post Malone’s first words after hitting the ground? He told TMZ, "I hate flying." He also sent a pretty spicy tweet to the people who were wishing for his death while the plane was circling. "i landed guys. thank you for your prayers. can't believe how many people wished death on me on this website. f*** you. but not today."
It was raw. It was classic Posty.
The "Final Destination" Connection
What makes the Post Malone plane crash story even more eerie is what happened just weeks later. Shortly after the plane incident, Post was involved in a high-speed car accident in West Hollywood. His Rolls-Royce was T-boned. A few weeks after that, armed robbers targeted a house they thought he was living in.
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People started talking about a "curse." Specifically, fans pointed to a video of Post Malone interacting with a "dybbuk box"—an item supposedly haunted by a restless spirit—at Zak Bagans' Haunted Museum in Las Vegas. Whether you believe in ghosts or just think it was a run of incredibly bad luck, 2018 was a year that tried very hard to take him out.
Lessons from the Teterboro Incident
Looking back at the NTSB reports and the aviation data, this wasn't just "bad luck." It was a reminder of how quickly private travel can turn dangerous. Teterboro is a notorious airport for being cramped and busy.
- Maintenance is everything. While the tires were the point of failure, the incident led to a lot of chatter about the rigors of private jet maintenance schedules during heavy touring seasons.
- Pilot skill saved lives. If those pilots hadn't made the call to divert to a longer runway at Stewart, the outcome could have been much different.
- Weight matters. The decision to circle for five hours to burn fuel is standard procedure, but it requires a pilot with nerves of steel to keep a panicked cabin calm during the wait.
The Post Malone plane crash scare didn't stop his career. If anything, it humanized him. He wasn't just a face-tattooed superstar; he was a guy who was scared to die and loved his mom. It changed the way he traveled for a while, and honestly, who could blame him?
Moving Forward After a Near-Death Experience
If you’re someone who deals with a fear of flying, the Post Malone story is actually weirdly comforting. Modern aviation is designed for failure. The plane was built to handle blown tires. The pilots were trained for exactly that scenario. Even when things go "wrong," there are layers and layers of safety protocols designed to bring you down in one piece.
Actionable Insights for Travelers:
- Track your flights. Use apps like FlightAware or FlightRadar24 if you want to see the real-time data of your journey. It helps demystify what's happening in the cockpit.
- Understand "Emergency Landings." Most emergency landings aren't crashes. They are precautionary measures taken by pilots who would rather be safe on the ground than "tough it out" in the air.
- Check the runway. If you are ever in a position to fly private, knowing your departure and arrival airport's "runway safety area" (RSA) can give you peace of mind. Longer runways are always your friend.
Post Malone is still here, still making hits, and probably still gripping the armrests a little tighter whenever he takes off. This event serves as a stark reminder that fame doesn't make you bulletproof, but a good pilot and a long runway can certainly save your life.