Man Killed by Frontier Plane at Airport
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
DENVER — A Frontier Airlines plane fatally struck a pedestrian on the runway at Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities reported, causing an engine fire and prompting passenger evacuation. The flight, which was en route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, 'reported hitting a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday,' the airport's official account posted on platform X. Authorities stated the pedestrian died. They have not yet been identified, but officials do not believe they were an airport employee. Denver International Airport confirmed that the individual jumped near the runway perimeter and was struck two minutes later while crossing the runway. According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, 12 people were injured, five of whom were taken to the hospital. 'We're stopping on the runway,' the pilot told the control tower, according to ATC.com. 'We just hit someone. We have an engine fire.' The pilot informed air traffic control that they had '231 souls' on board and that 'an individual was crossing the runway on foot.' The air traffic controller responded that they were already 'mobilizing emergency trucks' before the pilot communicated to the tower that they had 'smoke inside the aircraft' and would 'evacuate on the runway.' Frontier Airlines stated in a statement that flight 4345 was involved in the collision and that 'smoke was reported in the cabin, prompting the pilots to abort the takeoff.' It was unclear whether the smoke was related to the pedestrian strike. 'The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,' the airline noted. 'We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.' Passengers were subsequently evacuated using emergency slides, and emergency personnel transported them by bus to the terminal. Most have already departed from Denver Airport on new Frontier flights. Denver Airport reported that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident occurred, will remain closed while the investigation is conducted.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
