Frontier jet strikes, kills person on Denver airport runway during takeoff after security breach

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Frontier Airlines formation strikes idiosyncratic connected Denver runway

A Frontier Airlines formation from Denver International Airport to Los Angeles strikes a pedestrian connected the runway, causing an motor occurrence and forcing an evacuation. Aviation expert Kyle Bailey, a erstwhile FAA information squad representative, discusses the highly antithetic incidental and the strict information measures typically successful spot astatine large airports.

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A Frontier Airlines pitchy struck and killed a idiosyncratic who was walking connected the runway astatine Denver International Airport precocious Friday night, according to a connection from the airport.

"Frontier Flight 4345 reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff astatine DEN astatine astir 11:19 p.m. connected Friday, May 8, 2026. There was a little motor occurrence that was promptly extinguished by the Denver Fire Dept.," the airdrome wrote successful a station connected X.

"Emergency crews responded to the country and bussed passengers to the terminal. 231 souls were connected board. Emergency effect and probe are ongoing. The NTSB has been notified. Runway 17L volition stay closed portion the probe is conducted," the connection concluded.

The airdrome confirmed to Fox News that the idiosyncratic is deceased.

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Sean Duffy speaking astatine  a quality    league  astatine  Philadelphia International Airport

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks during a quality league astatine Philadelphia International Airport successful Philadelphia, Pa., connected Oct. 24, 2025. (Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg)

The idiosyncratic struck breached airdrome information Friday nighttime to standard a perimeter obstruction and dash retired onto the runway, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said successful a Saturday greeting statement.

"The trespasser connected the runway was past struck by Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 during takeoff astatine precocious speed. The aviator stopped takeoff procedures immediately," Duffy wrote successful a station connected X.

"The Frontier level was past rapidly evacuated portion instrumentality enforcement and firefighters responded. Preliminary reports are 12 radical were hurt, with 5 taken to the hospital. Local instrumentality enforcement handles airdrome information and is investigating with enactment from the FAA and TSA. No 1 should EVER trespass connected an airport," Duffy concluded.

Denver International Airport aboriginal posted an update to X saying it "has examined the fenceline and recovered it to beryllium intact."

"We are highly saddened by this incidental and explicit our sympathies to those involved," it added.

The idiosyncratic killed was struck and "at slightest partially consumed" by the 1 of the plane's engines, ABC News reported.

Frontier Airlines is conducting an investigation, the institution told media outlets.

Frontier Airlines Airbus A319 craft  approaching runway for landing astatine  Los Angeles International Airport

A Frontier Airlines Airbus A319 approaches the runway for landing astatine Los Angeles International Airport successful Los Angeles, Calif., connected June 7, 2008. (iStock)

Audio from the incidental captures the infinitesimal the level and idiosyncratic collided.

"We conscionable deed somebody, we person an motor fire," the aviator told an aerial postulation controller, according to audio from the ATC app.

"There was an idiosyncratic walking crossed the runway," the aviator told the ATC.

A Frontier Airlines formation  taxis astatine  Denver International Airport with the Colorado Rocky Mountains successful  the background

A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320 neo plane, owned by the Bank of Utah Trustee, taxis to a gross astatine Denver International Airport (DEN) connected March 23, 2026, successful Denver, Colorado. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

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A witnesser described to CBS the infinitesimal the collision occurred.

"We were already taking disconnected and we’re going beauteous fast, and I felt similar the level started to tilt up erstwhile retired of nowhere, it conscionable -- we felt similar a thud and heard, like, an explosion," Jose Cervantes told CBS News.

"I was close connected the wing, truthful I looked to my close and I conscionable see, like, the close helping conscionable connected occurrence and it, similar -- it’s exploding, and it sounds, like, horrible, you cognize and close distant they unopen the craft off," Cervantes said. "Well, erstwhile that happened, the craft lands backmost down and starts to swivel from broadside to side, past they unopen it down close away. And past the compartment starts to capable with smoke, and that’s erstwhile they started evacuating everyone."

Fox News Digital contacted Frontier, the FAA, the DOT, the NTSB and Denver Airport for comment.

Fox News' Madeleine Rivera contributed to this report.

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