Passengers on a Frontier flight have spoken out after the plane struck a person on the runway during takeoff, with some recalling seeing flames from an engine.
The aircraft was departing Denver International Airport in the US when the incident occurred, and one traveler said it happened just as the plane’s “wheels left the ground.”
One person has been confirmed dead, with air traffic control audio reportedly referencing “human remains” on the runway.
In a statement after the incident, Denver International Airport said: “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.”
Passengers who were onboard have since described the frightening moments as the plane aborted takeoff and crews moved to evacuate.
Speaking to NBC News, one passenger said they felt a sudden jolt as the jet accelerated down the runway.
“We immediately came back down, there was fire on the engine, there was lots of sparks that are happening,” he said.
“As soon as we saw the sparks on the flight smoke filled the cabin completely. It was super hard to breathe.”
He added that those onboard remained in place for a short time — estimating between two and four minutes — before evacuating via the aircraft’s emergency slides.
Another passenger also described looking out and seeing flames, as well as smoke entering the cabin while people reacted in panic.
Another passenger said: “Look to my right the engine’s on fire, literally the engine’s on fire, smoke’s coming in the cabin.
“I’m just holding it down for a sec, we slow down, everyone’s panicking, I just trying to relax, everyone’s screaming, people were getting up.
“It was a little scary, you know?”
One other person onboard said she felt for the flight crew in the aftermath, noting she “felt terrible for the pilot.”
She added: “But we’re alive, nothing happened to us other than a minor inconvenience, we’re alive and that’s the good thing, right?”
Others said they initially did not understand what had happened until they heard a loud bang and saw people’s reactions.
Meanwhile, 56-year-old John Anthens told the New York Post: “When the engine blew up, I thought, ‘Oh s–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.”
Denver International Airport later said in a social media statement that the person who was struck had “jumped the perimeter fence,” and confirmed they died as a result of the collision.
The individual has not yet been publicly identified. The airport also said the person is “not believed to be an employee of the airport.”