Frontier Airlines Flight Aborted After Fatal Runway Collision at Denver Airport

(MENAFN) A Frontier Airlines departure from Denver International Airport was aborted after a fatal incident on the runway involving an unauthorized individual, according to local officials.

The person is reported to have breached airport security by crossing the perimeter fence shortly before the incident occurred. The aircraft reportedly struck the individual during its takeoff roll, resulting in a catastrophic engine impact that forced the flight to stop.

According to accounts from the cockpit, the pilots immediately alerted air traffic control, stating, “We’re stopping on the runway. We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire… An individual was walking across the runway.”

Air traffic communications described the severity of the situation, with controllers confirming the closure of the runway and reporting debris on the surface. One transmission noted, “I do have limbs on the runway… I’ve got what appears to be a deceased person on the runway.” Another responder also relayed that human remains were present at the scene.

The impact caused an engine fire on the Airbus A321 aircraft, leading to an emergency evacuation using inflatable slides as smoke spread through the cabin. Authorities reported that 12 of the 224 passengers sustained minor injuries, with five requiring hospital treatment.

Footage recorded by passengers showed the emergency evacuation process and moments following the collision. Some witnesses described the aircraft briefly lifting before the impact, then returning to the ground.

Airport officials confirmed that the runway was immediately shut down as emergency crews responded and secured the area.

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