Audio captures moment Frontier plane struck pedestrian on runway

An audio recording captures the moments after a Frontier Airlines flight struck a pedestrian while departing Denver International Airport on Friday. 

Things begin smoothly, with the tower confirming the pilot is clear for takeoff and wishing the flight crew “a good night,” according to audio from ATC.com. About 30 seconds into the audio, the Frontier pilot says he is “stopping on the runway.” 

“We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire,” the pilot says. 

Air traffic control staff provide instructions on how the plane can safely exit the runway. When asked for more details, the pilot says there “was an individual walking across the runway.” About 40 seconds later, the pilot reports “smoke in the aircraft” and says he will evacuate the plane on the runway. 

Video shot by a passenger aboard the plane and shared with CBS News shows smoke in the cabin of the aircraft. The passengers and flight crew used inflatable slides to evacuate the plane. 

The images also appear to show blood on the plane’s engine. There was no immediate information available about the condition of the person hit by the plane, or how the individual entered the runway. 

No injuries were reported among any of the 224 passengers or seven crew members aboard the plane at the time of the incident, according to Frontier Airlines. Emergency crews bused the passengers back to the airport terminal, and their flight to Los Angeles was rescheduled. 

Frontier Airlines is investigating the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board was also notified. The runway where the crash occurred will stay closed during the investigation, according to Denver International Airport.