A person has tragically died after being struck by a Frontier Airlines aircraft on the runway at Denver International Airport during take-off on Friday night (May 8).
The jet had more than 200 people on board at the time, and passengers were later forced to evacuate following the frightening incident.
Confirming what happened, Denver International Airport said in a statement: “Frontier Flight 4345 reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. There was a brief engine fire that was promptly extinguished by the Denver Fire Dept.”
Officials believe the individual accessed the airfield by getting over the perimeter fence and reaching the runway, where they were then pulled into one of the aircraft’s engines.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a further 12 people were injured in addition to the pedestrian who died.
Five of those injured were transported to hospitals in the area. No further details have been released about their conditions or the seriousness of their injuries.
As of Saturday (May 9), the victim had not been publicly identified. Denver International Airport also said the person is not believed to have been an airport employee.
Audio that has since emerged appears to capture the moments shortly before the crash.
TMZ reports the recording begins with a female air traffic controller alerting others that someone was walking on the runway, followed by a male voice telling colleagues to ‘use caution’.
A man identified as Reggie is then heard saying: “Sorry for the delay, it’s Reggie from command and runway 17935 is closed. I do have, urm, limbs on the runway. I believe the aircraft struck an individual.”
DEN can confirm the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway. The pedestrian is deceased, and is not believed to be an employee of the airport nor have they been identified. (2/4)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
Multiple air traffic controllers then communicate with each other as they request medics and fire crews to respond to the location.
In the same audio, another voice can be heard reporting apparent damage to the aircraft: “We do have damage to the number two engine,” before adding, “Looks like we have fuel on the ground but no smoke or fire.”
One of the passengers on the flight has also spoken about what he witnessed.
Speaking to the New York Post, John Anthens, 56, recalled: “When the engine blew up, I thought, ‘Oh sh*t, we’re all going to die.
“The majority of people didn’t know what was going on or what happened, but there was just a big explosion and, obviously, when you hear a big explosion, people start screaming, kids are crying and it was horrific.”
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