SouthernWorldwide.com – A Frontier Airlines jet collided with and killed an individual on the runway at Denver International Airport late Friday night. The incident occurred during the aircraft’s takeoff sequence after the person had breached airport security.
Frontier Flight 4345 reported the collision with a pedestrian during its takeoff roll at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. Following the impact, a brief engine fire erupted, which was quickly extinguished by the Denver Fire Department.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene. Passengers were safely transported to the terminal via bus. A total of 231 individuals were on board the aircraft. Both emergency response and the subsequent investigation are currently underway. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified of the incident. Runway 17L will remain closed for the duration of the investigation.
The airport authorities have confirmed that the individual involved in the incident has tragically passed away.
According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the deceased individual had gained unauthorized access to the airport premises by scaling a perimeter fence and entering the active runway shortly before the collision.
The trespasser was struck by Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 as it was accelerating for takeoff at high speed. The pilot immediately initiated a rejection of takeoff procedures upon realizing the situation.
The Frontier aircraft was subsequently evacuated, with law enforcement and fire services responding promptly. Preliminary reports indicate that 12 individuals sustained injuries, and five of them required hospitalization. Local law enforcement agencies are overseeing airport security and are conducting the investigation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). A strong reminder was issued that trespassing on an airport is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted.
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Denver International Airport provided a visual representation to Fox News Digital, detailing the exact location where the security breach occurred.
A spokesperson for Denver International Airport stated that their security teams, in conjunction with the Denver Police, conduct regular patrols of the airport’s perimeter. The individual in question reportedly scaled a barbed-wire fence and was struck by the aircraft within two minutes of entering the runway.
Denver International Airport later issued an update on X, stating that an examination of the fenceline revealed it to be intact.
The airport expressed profound sadness over the incident and extended its deepest sympathies to all those affected.
The individual who was killed was struck by the aircraft’s engine, and reports suggest they were “at least partially consumed” by one of the engines, according to ABC News.
Frontier Airlines has confirmed that it is conducting its own internal investigation into the matter.
Audio recordings from the incident capture the critical moments of the collision between the aircraft and the individual on the runway.
“We just hit somebody, we have an engine fire,” the pilot communicated to an air traffic controller, as revealed by audio obtained from the ATC app.
“There was an individual walking across the runway,” the pilot further clarified to the air traffic controller.
A witness recounted the harrowing experience to CBS, describing the moment the collision took place.
“We were already taking off, and we’re going pretty fast, and I felt like the plane started to tilt up when out of nowhere, it just — we felt like a thud and heard, like, an explosion,” the witness, Jose Cervantes, told CBS News.
“I was right on the wing, so I looked to my right and I just see, like, the right wing just on fire and it, like — it’s exploding, and it sounds, like, horrible, you know — and right away they shut the aircraft off,” Cervantes added.
“Well, when that happened, the aircraft lands back down and starts to swivel from side to side, then they shut it down right away. And then the cabin starts to fill with smoke, and that’s when they started evacuating everyone.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Frontier Airlines, the FAA, the DOT, the NTSB, and Denver Airport for their official comments on the incident.
