At Denver International Airport, a Frontier Airlines plane struck a person who had trespassed onto the runway during takeoff. Following the collision, an engine caught fire, and passengers had to be urgently evacuated. This was reported by the Associated Press, citing airport administration and the airline, according to UNN.
Details
The incident occurred around 11:19 p.m. local time. The Frontier Airlines aircraft was operating a flight from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport.
According to airport administration, a person jumped over the perimeter fence of the airfield and ran onto the runway. They died as a result of the collision. The airport clarified that the deceased was not an airport employee.
Pickleball team killed in plane crash in the US – media03.05.26, 15:05
"We are stopping on the runway. We just hit someone. We have an engine fire,"
Subsequently, the captain stated that smoke had appeared in the cabin and passengers needed to be evacuated directly onto the runway.
Passengers evacuated via slides, injuries reported
Frontier Airlines reported that the incident involved flight 4345. There were 224 passengers and seven crew members on board.
"Smoke was reported in the cabin, and the pilots aborted the takeoff,"
Passengers were evacuated via emergency slides and then transported to the terminal by bus. According to Denver Airport, 12 people sustained minor injuries, and five others were hospitalized.
Frontier Airlines stated that it is investigating the circumstances of the incident in cooperation with airport administration and security services.