US: Flight hits pedestrian on runway; causes engine fire
What's the story
A Frontier Airlines flight from Denver International Airport (DEN) in Colorado, United States of America, to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) met with a tragic incident on Friday night. The aircraft, Flight 4345, hit a pedestrian who had breached airport security and entered an active runway. The collision caused an engine fire on the Airbus A321 and forced an emergency evacuation of all 224 passengers and seven crew members onboard.
Incident details
Pedestrian entered active runway before being struck
The pedestrian had jumped a perimeter fence and walked onto the runway before being struck during takeoff. The impact caused an engine fire, forcing pilots to abort the takeoff. Air traffic control audio captured their stunned response: "Tower, Frontier 4345, we are stopping on the runway. Uh, we just hit somebody. We have an engine fire."
Emergency response
Smoke filled cabin after engine explosion
The Denver Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire, but not before passengers were engulfed in panic. Smoke filled the cabin after the engine explosion, leading to a chaotic evacuation via inflatable slides. Twelve passengers suffered minor injuries during this process, of which five were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Ongoing investigations
Trespasser deliberately scaled perimeter fence
The victim of the incident was not an airport employee but a trespasser who had deliberately scaled a perimeter fence. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned this act, saying, "No one should EVER trespass on an airport." Preliminary inspections showed no breach in the perimeter fencing at DEN. The runway involved has been closed for investigation by authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.
Airline response
Frontier Airlines respond to incident
Frontier Airlines expressed its sadness over the incident and said it was cooperating with authorities to understand what happened. A spokesperson said, "We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities." Most passengers were later transported back to the terminal and accommodated on a rescheduled flight after their ordeal at DEN.