Frontier Plane Hits Pedestrian on Denver Runway Before Takeoff

A Frontier Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles struck a pedestrian on a runway at Denver International Airport before takeoff, according to CBS News. The incident occurred as the plane was accelerating, producing a loud explosion that passengers described as sounding like a bomb.

The aircraft pitched upward before the pilot brought the nose down and stopped safely on the runway. All passengers and crew survived.

John Anthens, 56, of Nebraska, was traveling with his two sons for a Pokémon Go tournament at the LA Convention Center. Anthens said he thought the family would die when the engine blew up. "When the engine blew up, I thought, ‘oh sh*t, we’re all going to die," Anthens said.

He was looking out the window and saw what his son Jacob described as human legs spinning in the engine after fire erupted. Thick black smoke filled the cabin as passengers screamed and children cried.

"I would say the majority of people didn’t know what was going on or what happened, but there was just a big explosion, and obviously, you hear a big explosion, people start screaming, kids are crying, and it was horrific," Anthens said. Flight attendants ordered everyone to remain seated.

The family stayed in their seats until they were able to exit the aircraft safely. Anthens took photos of the engine afterward. None of the family slept much that night. They canceled their first-ever trip to California and are driving an 8-hour rental car route back to Omaha, Nebraska.

Frontier offered Anthens a $500 flight credit.

Jacob, a highly ranked Pokémon Go player, had hoped to advance in the tournament. "I thought I had a real chance to make some noise there," Jacob said. "We were going to go have some fun, and never got that opportunity," John Anthens added. The family planned a whitewater rafting detour on the drive home.