A Frontier Airlines plane struck and killed a person during takeoff Friday evening, causing a partial engine fire and forcing the plane to stay on the ground.
Pilots aboard Frontier Flight 4345, which was headed to Los Angeles International Airport, reported colliding with a “pedestrian” as it took off from the runway at Denver International Airport at 11:19 p.m., according to the British Daily Mail. To airport officials.
The unidentified person was at least partially sucked into one of the engines of the Airbus A321neo, causing the engine to briefly catch fire. ABC News reported: Quoted from sources.
“Tower, border 4345, we’re stopping on the runway. Uh, we just hit somebody…we have an engine fire,” the flight’s pilot said over the radio, according to audio obtained by the outlet.
The pilots were forced to abort the takeoff when smoke was reported inside the cabin.
Denver firefighters extinguished the engine fire and all 231 passengers and crew members were evacuated from the plane.
One passenger suffered minor injuries, and everyone on board was evaluated as part of standard protocols, according to ABC News.
Stranded passengers were transported by buses to the terminal and a scheduled flight to Los Angeles International Airport was expected to take off at 6 a.m. local time, according to To FlightAware.
It was not immediately known whether the person killed was an airport worker, or how he got to the active runway.
Airport officials closed the runway while the investigation into the accident continues.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.