The actor has apologised for saying he could have handled the 9/11plane hijacking differently (Reuters)
The actor has apologised for saying he could have handled the 9/11plane hijacking differently (Reuters) Reuters

Mark Wahlberg has apologised for comments he made about the September 11 terrorists attacks in which he claimed he would have stopped the hijackers if he was on board.

The "Boogie Nights" and "Departed" actor suggested that he would have been able to stop the hijackers if he was on Flight 93 from Boston to Los Angeles, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field as passengers fought to overpower four al-Qaedahijackers who intended to use the plane to attack Washington DC. , during an interview with Men's Health magazine.

"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did," said Wahlberg.

"There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry.'"

Wahlberg, 40, was scheduled to take United Airlines flight 93 with several friends but made new reservations after their plans changed.

Deena Burnett-Bailey, whose husband Thomas Burnett was on board the doomed Flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought the terrorists on board, called Wahlberg's comments "disrespectful", prompting the Oscar-nominated actor to issue a formal apology.

"To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous to begin with, and to suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible," he said in a statement.

"I deeply apologise to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive. It was certainly not my intention."

Los Angeles Al-Qaeda