US transportation safety agency mulling investigation into fatal Frontier incident | Denver
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is gathering information on the evacuation of a Frontier Airlines plane after the plane struck and killed a person on the runway while taking off from Denver International Airport.
The flight, which was heading from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian while taking off from DEN around 11:19 p.m. Friday,” according to a statement posted on the airport’s official X account. The individual has not been publicly identified.
Passengers exited the plane via emergency slides before being taken back to the terminal by bus. An airport representative said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries, while five were hospitalized. No additional information was provided on the nature of these injuries. However, several passengers expressed concerns about the evacuation process, saying they were left inside the plane for several minutes as smoke accumulated in the cabin and were then left outside on the tarmac in cold conditions.
“We are collecting information about the emergency evacuation to determine whether it meets the criteria for a safety investigation,” NTSB spokeswoman Sarah Taylor Sulick told The Associated Press on Sunday.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that the deceased was an “intruder” who violated airport security and “deliberately climbed a permit fence and fled down a runway.”
“The runway intruder was subsequently struck by Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 during a high-speed takeoff,” Duffy added in an X post. He also confirmed that 12 people were injured, five of whom required hospitalization. Firefighters also responded to the scene, he said.
Duffy said the investigation into the security breach will be led by local law enforcement, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Frontier Airlines said the Airbus A321 involved in the incident “was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members.” The airline added: “We are investigating this incident and collecting further information in coordination with the airport and other security authorities. »
A video that appears to have been taken by a passenger on the plane and which circulated on social media evidently shows the moment the person was struck. The video captured the sound of a loud crash as well as people’s screams.
Friday’s incident at Denver International Airport occurred just a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed Thursday evening at Orlando International Airport in Florida. According to local media outlet WESH, the employee died after a vehicle hit a jet bridge adjacent to a plane carrying passengers.
