Additional Coverage:
- Frontier Airlines passenger recalls ‘legs spinning around’ as person sucked into plane engine (themirror.com)
A harrowing incident unfolded Friday night at Denver International Airport when a Frontier Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles struck a pedestrian who had trespassed onto the runway. The collision resulted in the individual’s death and caused an engine fire, prompting an emergency evacuation of the aircraft.
John Anthens, 56, was traveling with his two sons, Jacob, 30, and Levi, 19, when the terrifying event occurred. The family had been preparing to attend a Pokémon Go tournament in Los Angeles but faced a moment of panic as the plane took off.
John described hearing what sounded like an explosion, fearing the worst. “When the engine blew up, I thought, ‘Oh s—, we’re all going to die,’” he recalled.
According to airport officials, the pedestrian had breached security by climbing over a perimeter fence and entering the runway area just two minutes prior to the collision. The individual is not believed to be an airport employee. The incident took place on runway 17L at approximately 11:19 p.m.
Jacob shared a chilling detail: his father witnessed the legs of a person caught in the engine during the impact, an experience he described as deeply traumatic. Passengers aboard the plane reacted with screams and cries as smoke filled the cabin.
Emergency slides were deployed for evacuation, and responders quickly transported those with injuries to local hospitals. In total, 12 passengers sustained minor injuries, and five required hospital care.
Videos circulating online show passengers calmly exiting the plane and moving away from the aircraft as instructed. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified, and the runway was temporarily closed for investigation, reopening the following morning.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the severity of the breach, noting that the individual deliberately scaled the fence and entered the runway, actions he strongly condemned. In the aftermath, the Anthens family canceled their flight and opted to drive the eight hours back to their home in Omaha, Nebraska. To help cope with the traumatic experience, they took a detour for some whitewater rafting, hoping to shift their focus away from the frightening ordeal.
This tragic event serves as a sobering reminder of the critical importance of airport security and the dangers posed by unauthorized access to active runways.