Pedestrian Killed by Frontier Airlines Plane After Breaching Fence at Denver Airport

m. on May 8 when Frontier Flight 4345, bound for Los Angeles, was accelerating on runway 17L. The Airbus A321 carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members struck the individual two minutes after the person entered the airfield, according to airport officials.

The pedestrian is not believed to have been an airport employee and has not been identified.

"We're stopping on the runway.

We just hit somebody. com. The pilot reported 231 souls on board and added that an individual had been walking across the runway. Controllers responded that emergency vehicles were rolling to the scene. Smoke was reported in the cabin shortly afterward.

The pilots aborted takeoff and decided to evacuate on the runway. Denver firefighters quickly extinguished the engine fire. It remained unclear whether the smoke was caused by the collision. Twelve passengers sustained minor injuries and five were transported to local hospitals for treatment.

Video obtained by CBS News showed passengers standing near one of the aircraft's engines, which appeared damaged. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that the pedestrian had breached airport security, scaled a perimeter fence and ran onto the runway.

The airport later stated it examined the fenceline and found it to be intact. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and is participating in the investigation. Runway 17L remained closed for several hours while crews examined the scene.

Officials expected it to reopen later on May 9.

Airlines confirmed the flight number and said it was deeply saddened by the event. The company is working with the airport and federal safety authorities. Denver International Airport expressed sympathy for those involved and emphasized that the pedestrian was not an employee.

ABC News reported the person was at least partially consumed by one of the plane's engines. ZeroHedge published additional air traffic control transcripts and photos showing apparent damage to the right engine of the Airbus A321-271NX registered as N646FR.

The event marks a rare security breach at one of the nation's busiest airports. Investigators will examine how the individual accessed the active runway during a departure.