Pedestrian killed after being struck by Frontier Airlines plane taking off in Denver
PBS • • general
Key Points:
- A person who jumped a perimeter fence and entered a runway at Denver International Airport was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines plane during takeoff, causing an engine fire and emergency evacuation.
- The Frontier flight 4345, carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, aborted takeoff after the collision and smoke was reported in the cabin; 12 passengers sustained minor injuries and five were hospitalized.
- The National Transportation Safety Board was notified, and runway 17L was temporarily closed for investigation before reopening the following morning.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned the trespassing incident, emphasizing that no one should ever enter airport runways unauthorized.
- The incident occurred a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was fatally injured at Orlando International Airport, with investigations ongoing in both cases.
