A man died after being struck by a Frontier Airlines plane during takeoff at Denver International Airport on Friday night.
The incident happened as Frontier Flight 4345 was preparing to depart for Los Angeles International Airport. According to ABC News, the individual was reportedly walking on the runway when the aircraft hit them during takeoff. Air traffic control audio captured the moment the pilot alerted the tower to the emergency.
“Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway… Uh, we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire,” the pilot said, according to VT.
The pilot later added: “We’ve got smoke on the aircraft, we’re gonna evacuate on the runway.”
When asked how many people were onboard, the pilot reportedly responded: “We have 231 souls on board… There was an individual walking across the runway.”
He was pulled into one of the aircraft’s engines
ABC News reported that the person was at least partially pulled into one of the aircraft’s engines, which allegedly sparked a fire. More than 200 passengers were evacuated from the plane using emergency slides while crews responded to the scene. Travelers were later transported back to the terminal by bus.
The Denver Fire Department extinguished the fire, and the flight was ultimately canceled before being rescheduled for Saturday morning. In a statement released Friday night, Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident.
“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,” the airline said.
“Smoke was reported in the cabin, and the pilots aborted takeoff.
“Passengers were then safely evacuated via slides as a matter of precaution.”
“We are deeply saddened by this event”
The airline added that the Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members at the time.
“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,” Frontier said.
At least one passenger reportedly suffered a minor injury during the evacuation. Meanwhile, a source familiar with the incident told ABC News that airport security officials were inspecting the east perimeter fence Saturday morning for possible breaches.
The person who was struck is not believed to have been connected to construction work taking place near an adjacent runway.
The Denver Police Department is assisting with the investigation, though officials say they are unable to release additional details while the investigation remains active.
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