A plane departing for Los Angeles had barely begun its takeoff roll when everything stopped. What authorities found on the runway that night would leave investigators searching for answers that may never fully come.
On the evening of Friday, May 8, 2026, a Frontier Airlines flight struck a pedestrian on the runway at Denver International Airport during takeoff, killing him and triggering a full evacuation of the aircraft.
The man was later identified as Michael Mott, 41, a Colorado native with a criminal record stretching back more than two decades and a recent arrest that raises uncomfortable questions about how he ended up on that tarmac.
What Happened on the Runway?
The ATC audio from that night opens without alarm. Air traffic control clears the Frontier flight for departure and signs off with a “good night.” Roughly 30 seconds into the recording, the pilot’s voice cuts through, “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”…