A late night Frontier Airlines flight at Denver International Airport turned deadly when the aircraft struck and killed a person on the runway shortly before midnight on Friday.

The flight, bound for Los Angeles, was unable to take off after the horrifying collision that caused an engine fire and immediate emergency response from airport personnel.

Frontier Flight 4345 was beginning its takeoff around 11:19 p.m. when pilots radioed the control tower with chilling words that have now been released publicly.

“Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway. Uh, we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire,” the pilot said, confirming the unspeakable moment of impact that left crews scrambling to save lives inside the plane.

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According to initial reports, the individual struck by the aircraft may have been partially sucked into one of the engines of the Airbus A321neo, igniting a brief but intense fire.

Denver firefighters were dispatched immediately, extinguishing flames while ensuring all 231 passengers and crew could be evacuated as quickly as possible.

Passengers were ushered into emergency evacuation mode and guided off the aircraft under the flashing lights of fire trucks and police vehicles.

One person on board suffered a minor injury, though the vast majority were unharmed thanks to swift action by the pilots and emergency response teams.

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Every passenger and crew member was examined on site as part of protocol before being transported by bus back to the terminal.

Airport officials kept the runway closed through the night as investigators began piecing together how a person managed to end up on an active runway at one of America’s busiest airports.

At present, the identity of the victim has not been disclosed, and officials have not confirmed whether the individual was an airport employee, a trespasser, or someone who entered the area through a serious breach in security.

Sources speaking with ABC News said the incident caused a temporary cabin smoke report that forced the pilots to abort takeoff completely.

Frontier Airlines did not immediately release a detailed statement, though it indicated full cooperation with the investigation and expressed condolences for the death.

The stranded passengers, shaken but safe, waited as arrangements were made for a rescheduled departure.

According to FlightAware data, that replacement flight was planned to leave for Los Angeles at around 6 a.m. local time, several hours after the tragedy that halted airport operations.

Authorities at Denver International have not yet provided details about how long the affected runway will remain closed.

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The incident is now under federal investigation, as aviation authorities look at both security procedures and possible employee involvement in the deadly breach.

For a modern airport secured with multiple perimeter fences, cameras, and 24 hour surveillance, the possibility that someone accessed an active takeoff runway raises major questions.

Travelers and industry professionals alike are demanding answers about how such a catastrophic failure in oversight could occur at such a well monitored location.

While incidents involving pedestrians on runways are exceedingly rare, recent years have shown increasing airline challenges with security intrusions, maintenance oversights, and system failures.

The Federal Aviation Administration and Denver law enforcement are reportedly conducting joint reviews of camera footage, runway access logs, and staff rosters from the night of the crash.

Passengers still reeling from the experience described the moments after the impact as confusing and terrifying.

The smell of smoke filled the cabin as alarms sounded and cabin crew began shouting evacuation instructions.

For many, it was minutes before they were aware that the aircraft had struck a human being on the runway.

Airport operations resumed later that morning, but for those aboard Frontier Flight 4345, the night was far from routine.

The tragic event has now added to questions about the adequacy of airport perimeter safety and internal oversight of restricted airfield zones.

Denver International has seen its share of operational mishaps over the years, but this one has already captured nationwide attention.

As families of passengers awaited word overnight, investigators cordoned off the runway, marking debris and collecting evidence to determine exactly how and why the victim ended up in the path of an accelerating Airbus.

For now, Frontier Airlines and Denver officials are offering limited information while emphasizing that safety remains their top priority.

Plans are being reviewed to reinforce controlled access points and expand nighttime runway monitoring to prevent such a nightmare from ever occurring again.

Police have yet to confirm whether criminal activity is suspected. As Monday approaches, the focus remains on identifying the deceased and understanding how the security at a tightly controlled facility could fail so completely.

Until those answers come, both Frontier Airlines and Denver’s management face tough questions about accountability after this fatal mistake on the runway.

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