Photo: Ceri Breeze / iStock Editorial / Getty Images
A man who died after being struck by a Frontier Airlines plane at Denver International Airport has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott, with officials ruling the incident a suicide. The collision happened late Friday night on a remote runway as the Los Angeles-bound flight was taking off. The Denver Chief Medical Examiner said Mott died instantly from multiple injuries after being pulled into an engine, which then caught fire.
Authorities explained that Mott breached the airport’s eight-foot security fence, triggering an alarm. Security staff initially believed the alarm was caused by a herd of deer, as both wildlife and Mott were captured on camera. Mott managed to reach the runway within minutes, and the pilot aborted takeoff after the collision. No suicide note was found, but police are speaking with Mott’s family and friends to learn more about his recent circumstances.
The incident led to the emergency evacuation of all 231 passengers and crew members, with twelve people suffering minor injuries and five taken to the hospital. As of Tuesday morning, four had been released.
Denver International Airport officials said that while perimeter breaches have occurred before, most individuals were apprehended quickly. The airport’s CEO, Phil Washington, stated, “Safety is paramount in everything that we do.” The airport is reviewing its security procedures to determine what improvements can be made, particularly in remote areas where camera views may be obstructed by terrain. Aviation experts note that such incidents are “extraordinarily rare” and that stricter fence standards could be costly given how infrequently breaches occur.
Federal and local authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration, are investigating the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board may conduct a review of the emergency evacuation process but has not launched a full investigation into the collision itself.