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Published 13:31 09 May 2026 GMT
Horror as Frontier Airlines flight with 231 people on board kills person on runway as he's 'sucked into engine'
A Frontier Airlines flight struck a person who was reportedly walking on the runway at Denver International Airport on Friday night (May 8).
The person has died after being hit by the plane during take-off, with reports from ABC News stating that the person was at least partially sucked in by one of the engines, which caused a fire.
According to the outlet, air traffic control audio reveals that the pilot said: "Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway...Uh, we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire."
"We’ve got smoke on the aircraft, we’re gonna evacuate on the runway."
When the pilot was asked about the number of people on board, the pilot replied: "We have 231 souls on board... There was an individual walking across the runway."
Over 200 passengers were made to evacuate the flight, which was ablaze, as they were taken back to terminals in buses by emergency crews.
The Denver Fire Department rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire, as Frontier Flight 4345 was aborted and rescheduled for Saturday morning.
Frontier Airlines said in a statement on 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.
"Smoke was reported in the cabin, and the pilots aborted takeoff.
"Passengers were then safely evacuated via slides as a matter of precaution.
"The Airbus A321 was carrying 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," they added.
A source close to the incident told the publication that airport security was checking the east perimeter fence on Saturday morning for any breaches.
It's believed that the individual struck was not connected to the works taking place on an adjacent runway.
At least one passenger sustained a minor injury following the accident.
The Denver Police Department is supporting the investigation, which is ongoing, though they are unable to release more information while enquiries are still active.