A person was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 on the runway at Denver International Airport late Friday night, May 8, 2026, after deliberately scaling a barbed-wire perimeter fence and running directly into the aircraft’s path.
Flight 4345, bound for Los Angeles with 224 passengers and 7 crew members on board, was accelerating at approximately 146 mph during takeoff at 11:19 PM local time when the pilot aborted the procedure. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire,” the pilot told air traffic control. The person was struck and partially consumed by the plane’s right engine, triggering a brief engine fire that was extinguished by Denver Fire Department crews.
Airport surveillance footage captured the individual scaling the perimeter fence just two minutes before impact, walking directly onto Runway 17L. Air traffic controllers were heard alerting colleagues: “I do have limbs on the runway. I believe the aircraft struck an individual. I’ve got what appears to be a deceased person on the runway.”
Passenger Jose Cervantes described the moment of impact: “We were already taking off, going pretty fast. Out of nowhere, we felt a thud and heard an explosion. I looked to my right and the wing was on fire. It was horrible.” Passengers evacuated onto the runway via emergency slides, with 12 reporting minor injuries and 5 transported to local hospitals.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the breach on X, writing: “A trespasser deliberately scaled a perimeter fence and ran out onto a runway. No one should EVER trespass on an airport.” Denver Airport CEO Phil Washington said safety was paramount, adding that a full incident analysis would be conducted, including a review of perimeter security protocols.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and is investigating. Runway 17L remains closed. The identity of the individual has not been released. Denver International Airport covers an area twice the size of Manhattan, with approximately 36 miles of perimeter fencing to secure.