This could also be one of the more baffling and horrifying tales you’ll hear about one thing taking place at an airport and/or during air journey. Late Friday evening, as the flight crew of a commerial airplane was starting its takeoff at a major U.S. airport, the mixture of what got here to cross might only be described as chaotic. Luckily, nearly everybody concerned obtained through it unscathed, with just minor accidents. One man who made a careless selection was not so lucky.

As I discussed, the Frontier Airlines airplane was gaining pace and making ready to depart the ground at Denver International Airport (DIA) when, unbelievably, they reported to the tower their airplane had just hit “somebody” – that is, a individual:

One individual was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines airplane two minutes after leaping a perimeter fence and crossing a runway at Denver International Airport late Friday, the airport said.

The pedestrian, who has not been recognized, shouldn’t be believed to be an airport worker, the airport said in a assertion.

Flight 4345, an Airbus A321, was departing from Denver en route to Los Angeles and carried 224 passengers and seven crew members, Frontier Airlines said in a assertion. It was scheduled to depart at 10:39 p.m. local time.

As the airplane was departing, “the aircraft reportedly struck a pedestrian on the runway during takeoff,” the airline said.

No one else was killed, although some of those with minor accidents needed a journey to the hospital:

Emergency crews responded to the scene, and passengers had been taken to the terminal. Twelve people reported minor accidents, and 5 of them had been transported to local hospitals, according to the airport.

Incredible as this may sound, it will get even weirder. The airport assertion continued:

 “Smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff. Passengers were then safely evacuated via slides as a matter of precaution.”

The air visitors control tower recorded the “pedestrian” incident just after it occurred. 

Listen:

Air visitors control audio captured the second after a Frontier Airlines flight struck and killed a pedestrian on the runway while departing Denver International Airport on Friday.

The individual, who has not been recognized, jumped the perimeter fence and was hit two minutes later… pic.twitter.com/Y6OqgMG2pt

— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2026

Air visitors control audio captured the second after a Frontier Airlines flight struck and killed a pedestrian on the runway while departing Denver International Airport on Friday.

The individual, who has not been recognized, jumped the perimeter fence and was hit two minutes later while crossing the runway, the airport said.

Frontier Airlines is investigating the incident, and the National Transportation Safety Board was also notified.

The report continued:

The pilot told controllers there have been 231 people and more than 21,000 kilos of fuel on board, according to the audio clip.

Data from flight-tracking web site Flightradar24 confirmed the airplane was accelerating at about 146 mph at roughly 11:15 p.m. local time before it aborted takeoff.

RedState has written at size about air accidents that have taken place at or close to U.S. airports in latest years, with one such incident,  the tragic Jan. 2025, mid-air collision of a Black Hawk helicopter into a business airliner, ruled by the NTSB as “100 percent preventable”:

READ MORE: Southwest Flight Plummets Almost 500 Feet to Avoid Collision in Scary Scene Over LA, Injuries Reported

Breaking: NTSB Finds D.C. Mid-Air Collision Involving Black Hawk Helicopter Was ‘100% Preventable’

One of the passengers, Jose Cervantes, spoke to GWN affiliate KCNC about his mother’s expertise:

Cervantes’ mom was one of the passengers injured, he told KCNC. “My mom actually ended up going straight down the slide and, like, locking her knee when she hit the floor,” Cervantes said. “She doesn’t have any fractures, but we still gotta take her to the ER.”

Frontier launched a assertion after the accident: “We are deeply saddened by this event.”

The FAA is investigating, spokesperson Jon Henning told GWN, according to the outlet’s reporting linked above. The company also has partnered with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with DIA management and local police, to piece together the puzzling incident, according to a assertion from the NTSB on Saturday. 

Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy also commented the morning after – on the weird and harmful actions by the person who sadly misplaced his life, while reportedly inflicting a preventable scare for lots of of people:

Late last evening, a trespasser breached airport security at Denver Int’l Airport, intentionally 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 pace. The pilot stopped… https://t.co/x2oVY1b0AH

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 9, 2026

The full assertion reads:

Late last evening, a trespasser breached airport security at Denver Int’l Airport, intentionally 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 pace. The pilot stopped takeoff procedures immediately. 

The Frontier airplane was then rapidly evacuated while law enforcement and firefighters responded. 

Preliminary stories are 12 people had been harm, with 5 taken to the hospital. 

Local law enforcement handles airport security and is investigating with help from the @FAANews and TSA.

No one ought to EVER trespass on an airport.

You would assume that one thing like “Don’t climb a fence onto the active tarmac of an airport” ought to be common sense and doesn’t need to be said aloud. Unfortunately, that was not the case on Saturday in the Centennial state.