A Frontier Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles struck and killed a person who was reportedly walking on a runway during takeoff Friday night at Denver International Airport.
The person was at least partially consumed by one of the engines, an official confirmed to ABC News, causing a brief engine fire that was extinguished by firefighters.
At least one minor injury to a passenger has been reported and all those onboard the plane are being evaluated, which is standard procedure following an evacuation.
Passengers evacuated the aircraft on the runway via slides and were bused to terminals by emergency crews.
Air traffic control audio from ATC.com captured the crew reporting the emergency to the tower.
“Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway. Uh, we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire,” the pilot is heard on the audio from ATC.
When asked how many people were aboard, the pilot responded, “We have 231 souls on board… There was an individual walking across the runway.”
Moments later, the pilot reported worsening conditions and the need to evacuate.
“We’ve got smoke on the aircraft, we’re gonna evacuate on the runway,” the pilot said.
The Denver fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.
NEW: The man who was struck by a Frontier Airlines jet preparing to take off from Denver International Airport had breached a perimeter fence just two minutes before being hit.
Video footage shows the chaotic moment when the plane's engine caught fire.
12 people onboard the… pic.twitter.com/zXMDjw7nwy
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 9, 2026
The man who was struck by a Frontier Airlines jet preparing to take off from Denver International Airport had breached a perimeter fence just two minutes before being hit.
Video footage shows the chaotic moment when the plane’s engine caught fire.
12 people onboard the flight reported minor injuries and five were transported to the hospital.
Authorities say the individual breached the fence just two minutes before being hit. They say the person is not believed to be an airport employee.
Passengers say they were stuck on the plane for about 3 minutes as “toxic fumes” began entering the cabin.
“A trespasser breached airport security at Denver Int’l Airport, deliberately scaled a perimeter fence, and ran out onto a runway,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
“No one should EVER trespass on an airport.”
Video: 9 News.
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