“We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.” That was the Frontier Airlines pilot, speaking to the Denver tower from the runway late on Friday, May 8, 2026, according to recorded air traffic audio that CBS News and Denver7 both obtained. A pedestrian had walked into the path of Flight 4345 as it accelerated for takeoff. The person died. Twelve people on the plane reported minor injuries.
Two minutes from fence to runway
The Airbus A321neo was bound for Los Angeles with 224 passengers and seven crew members, 231 people in all. Airport officials put the impact at about 11:20 p.m. Denver International Airport said the person had jumped the perimeter fence and was hit two minutes later while crossing the runway. The fence was found intact. The person was not believed to be an airport employee and had not been identified when the first reports were filed; the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner was to confirm the identity. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the person a “trespasser” in a social media post.
An official told ABC News that the person was “at least partially consumed by one of the engines.” The collision set off a brief engine fire that firefighters put out.
Smoke in the cabin
Frontier said smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted the takeoff. It was not clear whether the smoke came from the collision. The pilot told the tower that the plane had smoke on board and that he would evacuate on the runway. Passengers left by inflatable slides, and buses took them to the terminal. Most flew on to Los Angeles later on another Frontier aircraft.
Those on board described fear and confusion. Mohamed Hassan told Colorado’s 9NEWS: “Honestly, I thought I was going to die.” Nikil Thalanki said he felt a jerk as the plane was about to lift off. “There was fire on the engine. There was lots of sparks that are happening. Immediately came to a stop,” he said, adding that smoke then filled the cabin and made it hard to breathe. Levi Lynn, speaking to Denver7, said he felt a bang like a shock wave. By his count the fire burned for ten or fifteen seconds before dying out, and then the smoke thickened. It smelled strongly of chemicals, he said, and burned his eyes.
Jacob Athens wrote on Facebook that passengers waited more than an hour on the runway in the cold with no transport or help. Video from the scene showed some people sliding down with their carry-on bags. Hassan, for his part, had a message for the crew. “I know it wasn’t his fault at all,” he said of the pilot.
What officials did next
Five of the people hurt were taken to hospitals. Runway 17L was closed and reopened the next morning. The Denver Police Department opened its own investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board was notified. On Sunday, NTSB spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick said the agency was gathering information about the evacuation “to determine if it meets criteria for a safety investigation.” Frontier said it was investigating with the airport and other safety authorities.
Sources
- Frontier Airlines jet on takeoff hits, kills person on Denver International Airport runway (Denver7)
- "We just hit somebody": Audio captures the moment a Frontier plane fatally struck a pedestrian on the runway (CBS News)
- NTSB gathering details on Frontier Airlines evacuation after plane hit and killed person in Denver (Associated Press, via Spectrum News)
