A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft struck a pedestrian on a runway at Denver International Airport on 8/5, leading to a fatality. The incident occurred during the departure of flight 4345, which was scheduled to take off at 10:39 PM from Denver, Colorado, bound for Los Angeles, California.

It remains unclear whether the pedestrian was an airport employee. Recordings of exchanges between Denver air traffic control and the Frontier Airlines pilots indicate that the victim was walking across the runway. US media outlets reported that the pedestrian was drawn into the aircraft's engine and died.

A Frontier Airlines aircraft at San Francisco International Airport, California, US, December 2025. Photo: AFP

Denver airport authorities confirmed that an engine fire occurred after the strike, which was subsequently extinguished by the Denver fire department. Frontier Airlines stated that smoke appeared in the cabin, prompting the pilots to abort takeoff. All 224 passengers and a 7-person crew were safely evacuated from the aircraft using emergency slides, though at least one person sustained injuries during the evacuation.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows that the Frontier Airlines aircraft was accelerating at approximately 230 km/h when the takeoff was aborted. Following the incident, passengers were transported back to the terminal by bus.

The airport has reported the event to the National Transportation Safety Board. Runway 17L will remain closed until authorities complete their investigation.

Nhu Tam (According to CNN, ABC News)