Shocking footage has emerged showing the moment a Frontier Airlines plane collided with a pedestrian on the runway at Denver International Airport on Friday night.
The aircraft, bound for Los Angeles, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff” at approximately 11:19 p.m., according to the airport’s official X account. The footage shows the plane accelerating down the runway before a loud impact is heard.
Multiple passengers can be heard gasping while one person screams in shock. Airport officials confirmed the pedestrian was killed in the collision.
An airport spokesperson stated the pedestrian, who had breached a perimeter fence, died at the scene. They indicated the unidentified individual was struck two minutes after entering the airport grounds. The person is not thought to be an airport employee.
“We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot informed the control tower, according to ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”
The pedestrian was partially sucked into the plane’s engine (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The pilot advised the air traffic controller they had “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”
The air traffic controller confirmed they were “rolling the trucks now” before the pilot informed the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”
Chilling audio from the incident captured an air traffic controller alerting colleagues that the runway was shut down, stating “I do have limbs on the runway.
A small fire broke out following the incident but was quickly extinguished (Image: Instagram)
“I believe the aircraft struck an individual…I’ve got what appears to be a deceased person on the runway.”
An emergency responder at the scene was heard informing the controller, “there does appear to be human remains on the runway.”
Frontier Airlines confirmed in a statement that flight 4345 was involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It remained unclear whether the smoke was connected to the collision with the pedestrian.
“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
Passengers were subsequently evacuated using emergency slides and transported by bus to the terminal. The airport spokesperson reported that 12 passengers sustained minor injuries, with five transported to area hospitals.
Denver Airport announced that the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident occurred, will remain shut during the investigation. It is anticipated to reopen later today.
