Federal investigators are weighing whether to open a full probe into Frontier Airlines' chaotic emergency evacuation at Denver International Airport, where a plane hit and killed a trespasser on the runway late Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday it is gathering details—particularly about passenger injuries—to decide if the incident meets its threshold for a formal investigation, which requires serious injuries or significant aircraft damage, the Denver Post reports.
Frontier flight 4345, bound for Los Angeles, struck a person who had climbed the airport's perimeter fence and walked onto the runway around 11:19pm, officials said. "We just hit somebody," the pilot told the control tower. The pilot reported an engine fire before smoke filled the cabin and 224 passengers and seven crew evacuated onto the runway. Five people were taken to hospitals and 12 reported minor injuries; their current conditions and how they were hurt remain unclear.
Passengers described thick smoke, difficulty breathing, delays in getting off the aircraft, and confusion on the tarmac, with some seen sliding down with carry-on bags—a behavior the NTSB has repeatedly flagged as a safety risk during evacuations. Passenger Kimberly Randle said people were desperate to get off the plane, the AP reports. "In a few minutes, they finally opened the door. People were running to get out of the plane," he said. "It was chaos everywhere." The trespasser's identity has not been released; officials say the person did not work at the airport.
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