Jackson Rathbone feared for his life after the engine of his plane exploded in the air on Thursday.

Taking to his Twitter account, he wrote: "We were on @jetblue flight

1416 to Austin from Long Beach. Our right engine exploded and our cabin filled with smoke.

"The oxygen masks did not deploy, but the brave stewardesses came around and manually deployed them. It was rough, the plane was rocking."

The hunk prayed to God after the pilot of the Airbus A320, which was carrying 142 passengers and five crew members, instructed everyone to adopt the brace position ready for a potential crash landing.

Jackson added: "I recited the Lord's Prayer as I held my son and my wife in my arms. The pilot came on the PA and let us know we lost the right engine.

"We were told to brace as we careened sharply back towards land.

Guided by our pilot, and I believe our guardian angels, we landed safely."

He added: "I just couldn't stop kissing my family and thanking my God."

Jackson, who was en route from California to Texas at the time, admits the frightening experience put everything into perspective and he's so "grateful" that himself and his family are safe and well.

He finished with: "I grabbed my son and jumped down the inflated ramp, my wife following. We left all our personal effects onboard. Who cares. We were alive. We're safe. I'm grateful."