Overview
- Frontier Flight 4345 to Los Angeles struck a person during takeoff Friday at 11:19 p.m., the crew aborted, a right engine caught fire, and an on-runway evacuation injured 12 passengers as 224 travelers and seven crew exited on slides.
- Officials on Tuesday identified the victim as Michael Mott, 41, and the Denver chief medical examiner ruled the death a suicide caused by multiple blunt and sharp force injuries, with no note or belongings recovered.
- Airport leaders said the trespasser scaled an 8‑foot, barbed‑wire fence in about 15 seconds and reached Runway 17L roughly two minutes later at a location about two miles from the terminal.
- Motion sensors and cameras had just flagged a herd of deer near the fence, and operators focused on the wildlife as ditches and shifting views kept the person out of sight.
- Denver Police continue the criminal inquiry, FAA and TSA are involved in oversight, the airport is reviewing perimeter defenses, and the NTSB is gathering details on the evacuation to decide whether to open a formal safety investigation.