Horrifying video shows moment Frontier Airlines plane hits person on Denver runway
A person who allegedly breached security at Denver International Airport was struck and killed by a departing Frontier Airlines aircraft late Friday last week, triggering an engine fire and a chaotic emergency evacuation that left several passengers injured.The Frontier flight, headed from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, reported hitting a pedestrian during takeoff at around 11:19 pm local time on Friday, the airport said in a post on X.The horrifying video of the incident has since gone viral.Airport officials said the unidentified person had jumped a perimeter fence and entered the runway area just minutes before the collision.According to news agency AP, authorities said the individual was struck roughly two minutes after entering the airport grounds and is not believed to have been an airport employee.
Pilot reports engine fire after collision
An audio from ATC.com captured the pilot informing air traffic control moments after the impact.“We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot said. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”The pilot later told controllers the aircraft had “231 souls” onboard and that “an individual was walking across the runway.”Air traffic control responded that emergency crews were being dispatched.The pilot then reported smoke inside the aircraft and informed the tower that passengers would be evacuated on the runway.Frontier Airlines said flight 4345 was involved in the incident and confirmed that takeoff was aborted after smoke was detected in the cabin. The airline said the aircraft was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members.“We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities,” Frontier said in a statement quoted by AP.
Passengers describe panic inside smoke-filled cabin
Passengers evacuated the aircraft using emergency slides before being transported back to the terminal by buses. Airport officials said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five people were taken to hospitals.Several passengers told local media that panic spread quickly after the aircraft came to a sudden halt and smoke began filling the cabin.“Honestly, I thought I was going to die,” passenger Mohamed Hassan told Colorado’s 9NEWS.“A lot of people next to me were screaming and crying. I just closed my eyes,” he said. “At that time, you’re not really thinking of anything, you know? Because we were just about to take off and I heard that boom.”Another passenger, Nikil Thalanki, said he felt a violent jolt just as the aircraft appeared ready to lift off.“There was fire on the engine. There was lots of sparks that are happening. Immediately came to a stop,” he told local outlets, according to AP.“Smoke filled the cabin completely. It was super hard to breathe.”Kimberly Randle also described scenes of chaos during the evacuation.“In a few minutes, they finally opened the door. People were running to get out of the plane,” Randle said. “It was chaos everywhere.”
NTSB reviewing evacuation response
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday it was gathering information to determine whether the evacuation warrants a formal safety investigation.NTSB spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick said the agency was reviewing details surrounding the emergency response, including passenger evacuation procedures.Videos from the scene appeared to show some passengers leaving the aircraft with carry-on luggage, an issue the NTSB has repeatedly flagged in previous evacuation investigations.The Denver Police Department said the investigation into the runway death remains ongoing, while the identity of the deceased person will be released by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner.Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington called the incident a “horrible and preventable tragedy.”“As this is an active investigation with numerous other agencies involved, it is going to take some time as we are still confirming what information we can share at this time,” Washington said in a statement.“This was a horrible and preventable tragedy that has affected many due to the actions of one person who apparently trespassed at an airport and lost their life as a result.”