A person who trespassed onto a runway at Denver International Airport was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines plane during takeoff, leading to an engine fire and passenger evacuation.
A Frontier Airlines flight 4345, carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members (totaling 231 souls on board), was involved in a fatal collision during takeoff at Denver International Airport. A person who had jumped a perimeter fence and was on runway 17L was struck and killed by the plane. The collision sparked an engine fire and caused smoke in the aircraft cabin, prompting the pilot to abort takeoff and initiate an emergency evacuation. Air traffic control audio captured the pilot reporting hitting someone and having an engine fire. Passengers were evacuated via slides, and emergency crews bused them to the terminal. Twelve passengers suffered minor injuries, with five requiring hospitalization. Passenger accounts described an 'exploded' engine and heavy smoke. The National Transportation Safety Board was notified, and runway 17L was closed for investigation, reopening the following day. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the individual had 'deliberately scaled a perimeter fence.' This incident followed an unrelated fatality of a Delta Air Lines employee at Orlando International Airport the previous day.
