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The National Transportation Safety Board announced Sunday it is investigating the emergency evacuation of a Frontier Airlines plane that struck and killed an individual on the runway during takeoff at Denver International Airport.
The incident occurred Friday night around 11:19 p.m. when Flight 4345, bound for Los Angeles International Airport with 231 people aboard, hit a person who had reportedly jumped a perimeter fence and entered the runway. According to air traffic control recordings on ATC.com, the pilot immediately alerted the tower: “We’re stopping on the runway. We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”
Airport officials confirmed that the unidentified individual was struck approximately two minutes after breaching airport security. Authorities have stated the person is not believed to be an airport employee.
The collision prompted an emergency evacuation using inflatable slides after smoke filled the cabin. “Smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff,” Frontier Airlines said in a statement. The carrier confirmed the aircraft was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members.
An airport spokesperson reported that 12 passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, with five requiring hospitalization. The airline is “investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
Passengers described chaotic scenes as the emergency unfolded. “Honestly, I thought I was going to die,” passenger Mohamed Hassan told Colorado’s 9NEWS. “A lot of people next to me were screaming and crying. I just closed my eyes.”
Another passenger, Nikil Thalanki, recounted feeling “this jerk” as the plane was attempting takeoff. “There was fire on the engine. There was lots of sparks that are happening. Immediately came to a stop,” Thalanki said. “As soon as we saw the sparks on the flight, smoke filled the cabin completely. It was super hard to breathe.”
Several passengers expressed concerns about evacuation procedures, reporting they remained trapped in the smoke-filled cabin for several minutes before doors opened. Once evacuated, many complained about being left on the cold tarmac. Video footage also showed some passengers sliding down the emergency chutes while carrying personal belongings.
“In a few minutes, they finally opened the door. People were running to get out of the plane,” said passenger Kimberly Randle. “It was chaos everywhere.”
NTSB spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick indicated the agency is “gathering information about the emergency evacuation to determine if it meets criteria for a safety investigation,” with more details expected to follow.
The incident highlights ongoing safety concerns regarding aircraft evacuations. The NTSB has long expressed alarm about passenger behavior during emergency exits, particularly the dangerous practice of retrieving carry-on luggage during evacuations.
In an April report regarding a United Airlines evacuation in Houston last year, the NTSB documented how passenger panic and refusal to follow crew instructions severely compromised safety. In that incident, several passengers insisted on retrieving belongings despite emergency conditions, with some even pushing past flight attendants and prematurely deploying an evacuation slide, rendering it unusable.
The report noted: “Cabin crew training emphasizes assertive command presence and passenger control during evacuations; however, this event demonstrates how rapidly escalating passenger behavior can affect evacuation dynamics even in the absence of confirmed fire or smoke conditions.”
The Denver incident comes amid heightened concerns about airport security and safety. Just one day earlier, a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on duty at Orlando International Airport. Delta has provided few details about that incident, stating only that they are “focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time” and cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
Both incidents underscore the complex safety and security challenges facing the aviation industry, from perimeter security to emergency response protocols and passenger compliance during evacuations.
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10 Comments
Hitting a person on the runway during takeoff is every pilot’s worst nightmare. I hope the NTSB investigation can determine the exact sequence of events and identify any systemic issues that need to be addressed to prevent similar tragedies.
This is a very disturbing incident. My condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who lost their life. I hope the NTSB can quickly determine the cause and work with airports to enhance safety measures.
Evacuating a plane after a collision on the runway must have been an extremely stressful and chaotic situation. I’m glad to hear the injuries were mostly minor – the crew and airport staff clearly handled it as well as possible under the circumstances.
Airport security breaches are always concerning. I’ll be interested to learn more about how this individual was able to access the runway, and what can be done to strengthen security protocols going forward. Safeguarding passengers is the top priority.
Airport security breaches are always concerning, especially when they lead to such a tragic outcome. I hope the NTSB investigation can shed light on how this individual was able to access the runway, and what measures can be taken to strengthen security going forward.
An engine fire during an emergency evacuation must have been absolutely terrifying for everyone on board. I’m relieved to hear the injuries were mostly minor, but this is clearly a very serious incident that requires a thorough investigation by the NTSB.
My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the individual who lost their life in this terrible accident. While the injuries to passengers seem relatively minor, any loss of life is deeply tragic. I hope the NTSB can provide some answers and recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future.
An engine fire during an emergency evacuation must have been incredibly frightening for the passengers and crew. I’m relieved to hear the injuries were relatively minor, but this is clearly a very serious incident that requires a thorough investigation.
You’re right, the crew and airport staff deserve a lot of credit for handling such a chaotic and dangerous situation as safely as possible. Their quick actions likely prevented even worse outcomes.
This is a tragic incident. My heart goes out to all those impacted, both on the plane and the individual who lost their life. I hope the NTSB investigation can shed light on how this happened and what steps can be taken to prevent such accidents in the future.