Morgan Freeman's plane was forced to make an emergency landing at a Mississippi airport on Saturday after a tire blew out during takeoff, his rep told New York Daily News. Freeman, who was on his way to Houston, Texas, to shoot a segment for the National Geographic series "The Story of God," was not injured.

"Sometimes things don't go as planned and a tire blew on takeoff which caused other problems," the 78-year-old actor said in a statement to People. "But thanks to my excellent pilot Jimmy Hobson we landed safely without a scratch. I cannot say the same about my plane. I appreciate the concern and prayers for our safety."

Bill Luckett, who is the Mayor of Clarksdale, Mississippi, which is where the plane originally took off, told ABC News that Freeman's plane made a forced landing in Tunica after taking off Saturday evening around 5 p.m. They had to burn off fuel before attempting to land. Freeman and the pilot were the only two people on board, and both walked away unharmed.