A terrifying scene unfolded at Denver International Airport after a person reportedly jumped a security fence, ran onto an active runway, and was killed by a departing passenger jet preparing to fly to Los Angeles.
The horrifying incident happened late Friday night as a Frontier Airlines flight carrying 224 passengers was taking off.
According to officials, the unidentified person scaled the airport’s perimeter fence and sprinted onto the runway just moments before the aircraft accelerated for takeoff.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the individual as a “trespasser” who deliberately entered the restricted area before being struck by the plane “during takeoff at high speed.”
Audio recordings captured the chilling moment one of the pilots radioed air traffic control after the impact.
“We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot reportedly said. “We just hit somebody. There was an individual walking across the runway.”
Reports say the situation quickly turned chaotic after the collision. According to ABC News, a fire reportedly broke out after the person was partially pulled into one of the aircraft’s engines.
The takeoff was immediately aborted as terrified passengers onboard were ordered to evacuate using emergency slides.
Photos from the scene showed travelers climbing down inflatable slides onto the runway while emergency crews rushed toward the aircraft.
Officials said all 224 passengers and seven crew members safely escaped the plane and were transported back to the terminal by bus. However, 12 people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, and five were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Airport officials later confirmed the person had jumped the fence just two minutes before the deadly collision. Authorities said the individual was not believed to be an airport employee, and investigators are still working to identify them.
The runway was shut down overnight while investigators examined the scene and inspected the airport’s security fencing. Officials later said the fence appeared to still be intact after the incident. The runway reopened Saturday morning.
Denver International Airport released a statement saying officials were “extremely saddened” by the tragedy and expressed sympathy to everyone affected.
The shocking runway death comes just days after another deadly airport accident in the U.S. Earlier this week, a 49-year-old Delta Air Lines employee was killed at Orlando International Airport after an aircraft towing vehicle reportedly collided with a jet bridge.
Investigations into both incidents remain ongoing.