A Frontier Airlines jet hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway Friday night. File Photo by CJ Gunther/EPA
May 9 (UPI) — A Frontier Airlines plane taking off from Denver International Airport hit and killed a pedestrian crossing the runway as the flight took off.
The flight was en route to Los Angeles International Airport with 231 people on board Thursday night.
DIA posted on X that at 11:19 p.m., “Frontier Flight 4345 reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN. Emergency crews responded to the scene. Passengers were bussed to the terminal, and the majority have since departed DEN on a new Frontier flight.”
The airport said the pedestrian had jumped the fence at the airport and was struck about two minutes later and died. The person was not an airport employee.
“We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot told the control tower, according to the site ATC.com, which offers streaming audio of air traffic control conversations. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”
After the controller said trucks are on the way, the pilot said, “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”
It wasn’t clear whether the fire was related to the pedestrian incident.
“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
Saturday morning, the airport posted that it had examined the fence and found it to be intact. “12 people reported minor injuries, and 5 of these were transported to local hospitals. Runway 17L remains closed for investigation, and we expect it will be open within the next couple hours,” the airport said on X.
Passenger Jose Cervantes told CNN affiliate KCNC that just as he felt the plane tilt up, he heard a thud.
“I looked to my right, and I just see the right wing just on fire and like, it’s exploding,” Cervantes said. “The aircraft lands back down, and they kind of like swivel side to side, and then they stop, shut it off right away, and then the cabin starts to fill up with smoke.”
“I thought I was going to burn to death. You know, when I just saw the fire and the smoke, I just thought I was going to burn,” Cervantes said.
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