Frontier Flight Strikes, Kills Pedestrian on Denver Runway

A Frontier Airlines passenger jet outside the technical operations center with other jetliners in for service north of Denver International Airport on May 9.Photographer: David Zalubowski/AP Photo

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By Danny Lee and Shamim Adam

May 9, 2026 at 7:29 AM UTC

Updated on

May 9, 2026 at 5:43 PM UTC

A Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. flight leaving Denver International Airport struck and killed a person who stepped onto the runway after jumping a fence.

The aircraft struck a pedestrian during takeoff at about 11:19 p.m. local time on Friday, sparking an engine fire, Denver International Airport said in a post on X. The Airbus A321 plane heading to Los Angeles International Airport was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, the airline said in a statement.