A man has died after being struck by a Frontier Airlines aircraft during takeoff at Denver International Airport on Friday night.
The incident occurred as Frontier Flight 4345 was preparing to depart for Los Angeles International Airport. According to ABC News, the individual was reportedly on the runway when the plane struck them during its takeoff roll. Audio from air traffic control captured the pilot immediately reporting the emergency to the tower.
“Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway… Uh, we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire,” the pilot said, according to VT.
He later added: “We’ve got smoke on the aircraft, we’re gonna evacuate on the runway.”
When asked about the number of people onboard, the pilot reportedly responded: “We have 231 souls on board… There was an individual walking across the runway.”
Person pulled into engine, fire reported
ABC News reported that the individual was at least partially drawn into one of the aircraft’s engines, which is believed to have triggered a fire. More than 200 passengers were evacuated using emergency slides as emergency teams responded. Travelers were later taken back to the terminal by bus.
The Denver Fire Department extinguished the blaze, and the flight was canceled before being rescheduled for Saturday morning. Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement released Friday night.
“As flight 4345 was departing this evening from Denver International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, the aircraft reportedly struck a pedestrian on the runway during takeoff,” the airline said.
“Smoke was reported in the cabin, and the pilots aborted takeoff.”
“Passengers were then safely evacuated via slides as a precaution.”
“We are deeply saddened by this event”
The airline also confirmed that the Airbus A321 carried 224 passengers and seven crew members.
“We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities. We are deeply saddened by this event,” Frontier added.
At least one passenger reportedly sustained a minor injury during the evacuation. A source familiar with the situation told ABC News that airport security was later seen inspecting the east perimeter fence for possible breaches.
The individual who was struck is not believed to have been linked to nearby construction activity.
The Denver Police Department is assisting with the investigation, and officials say details remain limited while the case is ongoing.
