Horrifying audio reveals moment Frontier plane fatally hit pedestrian leaving 'limbs' on runway
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
A person has sadly died after being truck by an Frontier Airlines aircraft on the runway of Denver International Airport during take-off on Friday night (May 8).
The aircraft was carrying over 200 people at the time of the incident, all of whom had to evacuate the plane after the harrowing ordeal.
Addressing the incident, Denver International Airport said in a statement: "Frontier Flight 4345 reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. There was a brief engine fire that was promptly extinguished by the Denver Fire Dept."
It's said that the person who was struck by the plane had jumped the perimeter fence and made their way to the runway. They were then consumed by one of the plane's engines.
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According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, 12 others were injured in addition to the deceased pedestrian.
Five were then taken to local hospitals. An update on their conditions or the extent of their injuries aren't thought to have been shared yet.
As of yesterday (May 9), the person who died has not been identified, but Denver International Airport said in a statement that the victim is not thought to have been an airport employee.
Newly released audio has reveals the moments leading up to the tragic accident.
Obtained by TMZ, the audio begins with a female air traffic controller warns her colleagues a person was walking on the runway. A male voice is then heard urging people to 'use caution'.
DEN can confirm the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway. The pedestrian is deceased, and is not believed to be an employee of the airport nor have they been identified. (2/4)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) May 9, 2026
The voice of a man named Reggie is then played. He says: "Sorry for the delay, it's Reggie from command and runway 17935 is closed. I do have, urm, limbs on the runway. I believe the aircraft struck an individual."
Several different air traffic controllers then confer with one another and order that medics and fire engines attend the scene.
"We do have damage to the number two engine," someone else is then heard saying about the aircraft. "Looks like we have fuel on the ground but no smoke or fire."
One passenger who was on the jet at the time has spoken to the New York Post about what he saw.
John Anthens, 56, told the news outlet: "When the engine blew up, I thought, ‘Oh sh*t, we’re all going to die.'"
He added: "The majority of people didn’t know what was going on or what happened, but there was just a big explosion and, obviously, when you hear a big explosion, people start screaming, kids are crying and it was horrific."
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