Courteney Cox has spoken for the first time about the terrifying moment the private jet she was travelling in with Jennifer Aniston lost a tyre during take off.

The actress’s were with two other friends on their way to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico for Jennifer’s 50th birthday earlier this month when the plane lost a wheel.

The troubled jet then had to circle for four hours to burn off fuel before making an emergency landing in Ontario, California.

Courteney, who by her own admission is a confident flyer, said she was “really scared” after hearing “a really loud bang” during take off.

She told Extra: “I’m not afraid of flying at all, my dad was a pilot, but I was really scared because when we were taking off, we heard this really loud bang.

“I was like, ‘Oh, that sounds like we should probably check that tyre.’

“There was no tyre at all, there was no wheel. Luckily, there are two wheels on each side and two in the front.

“I have to say, we were in the air for four hours, burning off fuel and just thought of what it is going to be like when we land. It was a really smooth landing.”

Courteney then revealed she sent texts to her 14-year-old daughter Coco and boyfriend Johnny McDaid while still in the air.

She said: “I sent a little text to Coco, ‘I love you.’ I didn’t say why, and to Johnny. I told him everything that was going on and I FaceTimed him after.”

Also on the Gulfstream Aerospace IV jet were screenwriter Molly Kimmel and actress Amanda Anka.

All four passengers were forced to remain on the plane for two hours following the emergency landing, but later disembarked and made their way to a bigger plane, which eventually took off for Cabo.