A serious and tragic incident occurred at Denver International Airport in Colorado, USA. An Airbus A321 aircraft belonging to Frontier Airlines struck an unidentified person on the runway. The individual died at the scene.
According to reports, one of the plane's engines caught fire following the collision. The aircraft was then stopped, and passengers were evacuated via emergency inflatable slides.
The pilot contacted the airport dispatcher and delivered a brief but very serious message about the situation:
“We just hit someone. The engine caught fire,” he said.
A video shared by a passenger shows smoke inside the cabin. Firefighters arrived at the scene and extinguished the flames. There were 224 passengers and 7 crew members on board. None were seriously injured, though 12 people reported minor injuries.
Frontier Airlines issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the incident. Such a situation is naturally a major psychological shock for the airline, airport services, and passengers.
Preliminary data indicates the A321neo aircraft, registration N646FR, was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles International Airport. The flight from runway 17L was planned for 22:39 local time.
According to the airline, the unidentified person climbed over the airport perimeter fence at 23:13, about two minutes before the incident. They then ran toward the runway.
Audio recordings reveal that before the incident, the dispatcher cleared the Frontier pilot for takeoff and wished them a good night. Shortly after, the flight commander contacted the tower again to report the collision.
“We are stopping on the runway. Someone crossed the runway,” the pilot said.
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also commented on the incident. He stated that the intruder entered the airport illegally, intentionally climbed the fence, and ran onto the runway.
“No one should ever trespass on airport property,” Duffy emphasized.
He noted that the plane was moving at high speed during the collision. A320 family aircraft can reach speeds of up to 250 km/h during takeoff. At such speeds, a collision with any obstacle or person is almost inevitably fatal.
After the evacuation, passengers were returned to the terminal. They later departed for their destination on another flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the incident to determine how the individual entered the airport, identify security gaps, and review the crew's actions.
This tragedy highlights the critical importance of airport security. A runway is not a normal area; even a second of trespassing can threaten human life, passenger safety, and the entire aviation system.
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