Robert Garrison is a Colorado native who grew up in Montrose and attended Colorado Mesa University. He is an AP award-winning journalist who joined Denver7 in August 2016 after working in CO and OK.
DENVER — Security and safety questions remain after a person was struck and killed on a runway by a departing Frontier flight after the person allegedly trespassed onto Denver International Airport property Friday night.
Security surveillance video of the incident obtained by Denver7 Sunday shows the moment Frontier Airlines flight 4345 struck a pedestrian as the Airbus A320, carrying 231 souls, raced down runway 17L.► The video below shows the moment just before impact:The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday,” according to a post on the airport’s official X account. An official confirmed to ABC News that 'the person was at least partially consumed by one of the engines.
'It’s unclear why the person, who has yet to be identified, was on the runway in the first place, but an airport spokesperson said the person jumped a perimeter fence and was struck two minutes later. The person is not believed to be an airport employee. ► Watch Robert Garrison's report in the player below:The incident is now fueling broader concerns about how easily someone can access restricted airfield space.
Aviation security expert and Metro State University Denver professor Jeff Price told Denver7 that accessing airport grounds is surprisingly easy.
“Airport fencing is not that difficult to overcome. Anybody who's ever seen an airport fence. It's not really that complex. Some airports have more complex fencing than others.
TSA standards vary from airport to airport. Dia obviously meets those standards,” Price said. Price said the goal of the perimeter fencing around an airport is not necessarily to prevent people from trespassing, but more to slow them down.
“It's really there to be a delaying action, a deterrence action, to allow the airport and other personnel to respond if somebody tries to get on the airfield, and then the other reason it's there, and the irony of the situation is to keep people from inadvertently walking onto the airfield from a safety perspective,” he said. While investigators examine the security lapse, new audio reveals the pilot’s immediate reaction.
“We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower, according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire. ”After the strike, the plane filled with smoke, prompting the captain to order an evacuation via slides on the runway.
Passengers were then bused to the terminal. Passengers felt the impact from inside the cabin as the jet accelerated down the runway. Passenger Victoria Lohman described hearing a loud bang.
'We started going down the runway and all of a sudden this huge bang,' she said. 'Everyone got really frightened and understandably so. 'Another passenger, Levi Lynn, described the moment the collision happened. “Right as I looked out the window, and I could feel the bang, it was like a shock wave, but it was so quick.
The fire lasted, I'd say about 10 or 15 seconds, and then it just let itself out. That’s when the smoke really filled the cabin,” Lynn said. DIA said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to hospitals. ► Watch more coverage as Maggy Wolanske speaks with passengers about what they experienced on board:The breach also raises questions about detection technology on DIA’s airfield.
The MSU professor said there are systems in place to detect if someone has accessed a runway, but it’s unclear whether DIA has such systems.
“You could take a look at perimeter intrusion systems that help identify when people are on the field. A lot of airports have those. They are able to respond quicker to those types of incidents,” he said. The National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing the evacuation of the Frontier flight following the strike to determine whether it meets the criteria for a safety investigation.
The NTSB has for years expressed concern about evacuations, especially passengers leaving with their carry-ons. Video of the evacuation showed some passengers coming down the slide with what looked to be their carry-on bags. On Sunday, airport authorities released a statement, calling the incident a “horrible and preventable tragedy,' and emphasized that safety remains its top priority.
'Denver International Airport is continuing to gather information about the incident that occurred with Frontier flight 4345 this past Friday night. We know there are questions to be answered still. As this is an active investigation with numerous other agencies involved, it is going to take some time as we are still confirming what information we can share at this time.
This was a horrible and preventable tragedy that has affected many due to the actions of one person who apparently trespassed at an airport and lost their life as a result. Safety is paramount in everything we do in aviation and at DEN we want to make sure we have all the facts before information is released,' statement read. The Associated Press contributed to this report
Denver Denver Airport Frontier Flight Frontier Hits Pedestrian Man Hit By Plane Runway Runway Death Sucked Up Into Engine
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