A person who jumped a perimeter fence was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines jet during takeoff from Denver International Airport late Friday night, prompting an emergency evacuation and sparking a brief engine fire, officials said.Flight 4345, an Airbus A321 bound for Los Angeles carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, aborted takeoff after hitting the individual at approximately 11:19 pm local time, according to airport authorities.“DEN can confirm that the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway,” the airport said in a statement. The person, who is not believed to be an airport employee, has not yet been identified.The person hit “was at least partially consumed by one of the engines,” ABC News reported, citing an unidentified official.
‘We just hit somebody’
Chaotic audio from air traffic control communications captured the moment pilots realized what had happened.“Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway. We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire,” the pilot said, according to audio from ATC.com.“There was an individual walking across the runway,” the pilot added, reporting that the aircraft had “231 souls on board.”The Denver Fire Department quickly extinguished the brief engine fire. However, smoke had entered the cabin, prompting the pilots to order an evacuation via emergency slides.
Passengers injured
Twelve passengers reported minor injuries during the evacuation, with five transported to local hospitals, the airport said. Frontier Airlines confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated.Passenger Jose Cervantes told an affiliate of CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that he heard a thud and then saw the right wing on fire.“I thought I was going to burn to death,” he said.
Investigation underway
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the trespasser “deliberately scaled a perimeter fence and ran out onto a runway” and was struck by the plane “during takeoff at a high speed.”“No one should EVER trespass on an airport,” Duffy wrote on X.The airport said it has examined the fence line and found it to be intact. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified, and Runway 17L remains closed during the investigation.Frontier Airlines expressed sorrow over the incident. “We are deeply saddened by this event,” the airline said in a statement. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
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