Morgan Freeman -- Jet Goes Off Runway During Emergency Landing

Morgan just said, "Sometimes things don't go as planned and a tire blew on take-off which caused other problems. But thanks to my excellent pilot Jimmy Hobson we landed safely without a scratch." He added, "I cannot say the same about my plane."

Morgan Freeman had a big scare Saturday night when the private jet he commissioned careened off a runway during an emergency landing ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Morgan was the only passenger on the plane when it experienced significant hydraulic problems shortly after takeoff. The pilot radioed a mayday and was cleared to land in Tunica, Mississippi -- 36 miles from where the plane took off.

It's unclear if the pilot touched down too late, the runway was just too small to accommodate the jet or the hydraulic problem compromised the braking system, but the jet didn't stop at the end of the runway and ended up in a dirt field.