A Frontier Airlines aircraft struck and killed a person on the runway during take-off at Denver International Airport late on Friday, forcing an emergency evacuation after smoke and an engine fire were reported onboard.
The flight, which was bound for Los Angeles, reportedly hit the individual at around 11.19pm while departing from the airport.
Airport officials said the person had breached security by climbing over a perimeter fence before entering the runway area. The individual later died at the scene and had not yet been formally identified. Authorities believe the person may have been an airport employee.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the victim as a trespasser who deliberately entered the restricted area before being struck by Frontier flight 4345 during take-off.
Duffy said 12 people sustained injuries in the incident, with five requiring hospital treatment. He added that local law enforcement, supported by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration, would investigate the security breach and surrounding circumstances.
Audio recordings from air traffic control communications indicated the pilot informed the control tower that the aircraft had struck someone on the runway and was experiencing an engine fire.
The pilot later reported smoke inside the aircraft and confirmed that an evacuation would take place directly on the runway.
Frontier Airlines said smoke had been detected in the cabin shortly after the collision, prompting pilots to abort take-off procedures. The airline did not confirm whether the smoke was directly linked to the impact.
According to the airline, the Airbus A321 involved in the incident was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members.
Passengers were evacuated using emergency slides before being transported back to the terminal by airport buses, while emergency crews and firefighters responded to the aircraft.
Denver airport authorities confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board had been informed and that the affected runway would remain closed during the investigation.
Videos shared on social media appeared to capture the moment of impact, including loud noises and passengers screaming. Separate footage from the evacuation also appeared to show blood inside part of the aircraft engine casing.
The incident came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee died in a separate accident involving airport ground equipment at Orlando International Airport. Earlier this month, a United Airlines aircraft arriving in Newark from Venice was also involved in a ground collision that left a delivery driver injured and prompted another federal investigation.