Flight taking off from Denver hits pedestrian on runway
The plane, a narrow-body Airbus A321, was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members
ATT Desk Report
A flight taking off from Denver International Airport strikes a pedestrian on the runway during takeoff on May 8, reports NBC News.
The airport said Frontier Flight 4345 to Los Angeles International Airport reported striking a pedestrian around 11:19 pm, followed by an engine fire that was extinguished.
Neither the airline nor the airport gave any details on the pedestrian or their status. It is not clear if the engine fire was related to the collision.
The plane, a narrow-body Airbus A321, was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, who were evacuated via slides after smoke filled the cabin, the airline said.
“The aircraft reportedly struck a pedestrian on the runway during takeoff. Smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff,” the airline said. “We are deeply saddened by this event.”
Footage posted to social media by a passenger appears to capture the moment of impact during take-off. A high crashing sound can be heard, followed by cries from passengers inside the plane.
As they got off the plane using emergency slides, another passenger recorded dimly-lit videos appearing to show damaged engine blades.
Emergency crews responded to the scene and bussed passengers to the terminal, the airport said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating the incident.
