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A Frontier Airlines flight was forced to abort takeoff last night after striking a person on the runway at Denver International Airport (DEN). Flight F9 4345, an Airbus A321neo bound for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), was carrying 224 passengers and 7 crew members when the incident occurred. The aircraft was scheduled to depart at 10:39 PM, but at approximately 11:19 PM, the crew reported hitting a pedestrian on the runway. The circumstances surrounding how the individual ended up on the runway remain unclear. Since the individual has not been identified as an employee, I have to guess that this was a suicide.
Following the collision, a brief engine fire broke out but was quickly extinguished by airport fire crews. Emergency responders rushed to the scene as the situation unfolded. Passengers were evacuated using emergency slides and later transported by bus back to the terminal.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the incident and is working alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), airport officials, and local law enforcement to investigate. Runway 17L, where the incident occurred, was closed as authorities gather evidence and determine what led to the accident. Denver airport authorities confirmed the individual jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes after while crossing the runway. As a result, they are deceased
The incident comes just one day after a separate tragedy involving a Delta Air Lines employee at Orlando International Airport (MCO) and a few days after a United Airlines Boeing 767 struck a delivery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Anthony’s Take: While all passengers and crew on the Frontier flight were safely evacuated, the incident raises serious questions about airport security and runway safety. Investigators will now work to determine how a pedestrian accessed an active runway and what measures can prevent any similar incidents in the future.
(Featured Image Credit: @rawsalerts via X.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Tragic as this is…what’s also concerning is how someone was able to “jump the fence” to gain access to the secure area of the airport.