Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 Kills Runway Trespasser During Takeoff at Denver International Airport

A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 struck and killed a pedestrian during takeoff at Denver International Airport on Friday night, after the person crossed the runway area around 11:19 p.m. local time and the collision sparked an engine fire.

“Frontier Airlines jet strikes person on runway at Denver International Airport: Officials Pilots reported an engine fire and smoke inside the aircraft after the incident”

ABC News

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the victim “breached airport security, deliberately scaled a perimeter fence, and ran onto a runway,” and the plane was moving at a “high speed” at the time of the strike.

ABC News

ABC News reported that the incident occurred shortly after 11:00 p.m. local time on Runway 17L, and that there were 224 passengers and 7 crew members on board.

BBC reported that air traffic control audio captured the moments after the hit, including the pilot telling the control tower, “We just hit somebody,” and adding, “We have an engine fire.”

Frontier said all 224 passengers were evacuated by inflatable emergency slides as a matter of precaution, and BBC reported that twelve passengers aboard the plane reported minor injuries while five were taken to nearby hospitals.

ABC News said an official confirmed to ABC News that the person struck was “at least partially consumed by one of the engines,” causing a brief engine fire.

ABC7 Chicago

Passengers described the moment the engine fire appeared, with ABC News passenger Iga Zadzilko saying, “We immediately stopped. People started like crying, shouting -- no one knew what happened,” after hearing a loud bang.

The airport said the NTSB had been notified and that Runway 17L would remain closed while the investigation is conducted, while BBC reported the runway was closed during the investigation and that the majority of passengers left Denver on a new Frontier flight.

Denver International Airport said it had examined the fenceline and found it to be intact, while Duffy said local law enforcement is investigating the breach with support from the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration.

ABC News reported that a source briefed on the incident said airport security was inspecting the east perimeter fence on Saturday morning for gaps and that the person struck did not appear to be connected to work occurring on a parallel runway.

The BBC said the runway was closed while the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation, and it quoted the airport’s statement that “The NTSB has been notified.”

In the immediate aftermath, Frontier said it was “investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities,” and the airport said Runway 17L would remain closed while the investigation is conducted.