Frontier A321neo fatally strikes person on runway during Denver take-off

Airport operator says pedestrian ‘jumped fence’ before being hit by twinjet.

Denver airport’s operator has confirmed a person was fatally injured after crossing a runway and being struck by a departing Frontier Airlines aircraft.

The Airbus A321neo, heading for Los Angeles on 8 May, had been conducting its take-off roll on runway 17L.

Its crew aborted the departure and reported, at about 23:19, that they had struck a pedestrian.

According to the airport operator, the pedestrian “jumped the perimeter fence” — which was found to be intact — and was hit about 2min later while crossing the runway.

The individual was fatally injured, it adds. They have not been identified but the operator does not believe the person was an airport employee.

Twelve of the 231 occupants of flight F94345 received minor injuries and five were taken to hospital.

While the runway was closed as emergency services attended the scene, it has since re-opened.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified.

The extent of damage to the aircraft (N646FR) has yet to be clarified.

But archived air traffic control communications show that one of the pilots told Denver tower: “We’re stopping on the runway. we just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

After advising that there was smoke in the aircraft, the crew stated that they were intending to evacuate passengers. One of the pilots also remarked: “There was an individual walking across the runway.”