Late Friday night, an absolutely horrific incident took place at Denver International Airport.
Right after takeoff, a Frontier Airlines plane hit a pedestrian who had crossed onto the runway.
This person was instantly killed and “at least partially consumed” by one of the plane’s engines, according to reports.
In turn, this caused an engine fire, forcing the jet to make an emergency stop.
Watch footage of the terrible scene here (WARNING: it may be disturbing):
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as a Frontier Airlines aircraft forced to make an emergency after a pedestrian on the runway was struck and sucked into one of the jet’s engines⁰⁰ 📌#Denver | #Colorado
Watch as horrifying footage from earlier this morning shows the moment Frontier Flight… pic.twitter.com/jvaWjzvMey
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 9, 2026
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as a Frontier Airlines aircraft forced to make an emergency after a pedestrian on the runway was struck and sucked into one of the jet’s engines 📌#Denver | #Colorado
Watch as horrifying footage from earlier this morning shows the moment Frontier Flight 4345, departing from Denver International Airport and bound for Los Angeles, was forced into an emergency evacuation after a man reportedly walked onto the active runway and was sucked into one of the aircraft’s engines during takeoff. The impact triggered a brief engine fire, which was quickly extinguished by airport firefighters. Officials later confirmed the individual had been walking on the runway prior to the incident, though the reason remains unknown and is now under investigation. No injuries were reported among the 231 passengers onboard the aircraft.
Frontier Airlines and federal investigators are now reviewing how the person was able to gain access to an active runway at one of the largest airports in the United States, raising serious questions about perimeter and airfield security procedures.
Here’s another video including an interview with one of the passengers who was on the plane:
NEW: The man who was struck by a Frontier Airlines jet preparing to take off from Denver International Airport had breached a perimeter fence just two minutes before being hit.
Video footage shows the chaotic moment when the plane’s engine caught fire.
12 people onboard the… pic.twitter.com/zXMDjw7nwy
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 9, 2026
ABC News shared some more witness accounts:
Iga Zadzilko, a passenger, said she heard a loud bang and saw the engine ablaze.
“We immediately stopped. People started like crying, shouting — no one knew what happened,” Zadzilko said, adding they saw smoke inside the cabin. A flight attendant told them to evacuate.
ADVERTISEMENTZadzilko said passengers waited on the runway outside for about an hour and took a bus back to the terminal.
Frontier Airlines offered another 6:00 a.m. flight as well as a refund, according to Zadzilko.
“Mentally, everyone I feel like is stressed and anxious,” she said.
Zadzilko commended the pilot and flight attendants “and even people on board — they kept calm as long as they could in that situation. So overall, we are very lucky.”
A source briefed on the incident told ABC News that airport security was inspecting the east perimeter fence on Saturday morning for gaps and the person struck did not appear to be connected to the work occurring on a parallel runway.
This is absolutely wild. Just terrible.
Denver International Airport released a statement on X:
Statement from DEN on incident tonight: Frontier Flight 4345 reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. There was a brief engine fire that was promptly extinguished by the Denver Fire Dept. (1/2)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
Emergency crews responded to the scene and bussed passengers to the terminal. 231 souls were on board. Emergency response and investigation are ongoing. The NTSB has been notified. Runway 17L will remain closed while the investigation is conducted. 2/2
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
At approximately 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. (1/4)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
DEN can confirm the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway. The pedestrian is deceased, and is not believed to be an employee of the airport nor have they been identified. (2/4)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
The airport has examined the fenceline 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. (3/4)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
We are extremely saddened by this incident and express our sympathies to those involved. (4/4)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
At this time, the person who was killed has not been identified.
But, we know that he or she was trespassing on the runway after intentionally breaching security.
Several passengers were injured during the incident.
Per the Denver Gazette:
12 passengers reported minor injuries, with five transported to local hospitals. Runway 17L was closed for investigation. The airport announced that the accident scene was cleared and the runway reopened in an update at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The airport also confirmed that the pedestrian had jumped the perimeter fence and was hit two minutes later while crossing the runway. The pedestrian is not believed to be an employee of the airport, and has not been identified. The airport said that the fenceline was examined and found to be intact.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also provided this update:
Late last night, a trespasser breached airport security at Denver Int’l Airport, deliberately scaled a perimeter fence, and ran out onto a runway.
The trespasser on the runway was then struck by Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 during takeoff at high speed. The pilot stopped… https://t.co/x2oVY1b0AH
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 9, 2026
Late last night, a trespasser breached airport security at Denver Int’l Airport, deliberately scaled a perimeter fence, and ran out onto a runway.
The trespasser on the runway was then struck by Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 during takeoff at high speed. The pilot stopped takeoff procedures immediately.
The Frontier plane was then quickly evacuated while law enforcement and firefighters responded.
Preliminary reports are 12 people were hurt, with 5 taken to the hospital.
Local law enforcement handles airport security and is investigating with support from the @FAANews
and TSA.No one should EVER trespass on an airport.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!