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Officials revealed Tuesday that the individual killed in the horrific runway strike late Friday night in Denver died by suicide after breaching multiple airport security layers.
The trespasser was identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott, who was seen on video loitering near a runway at Denver International Airport before suddenly stepping in front of a Frontier Airlines jet during its takeoff roll.
Airport officials said they were not aware that Mott had entered the restricted area after scaling an 8-foot perimeter fence topped with barbed wire. He was ultimately pulled into the aircraft’s engine, which subsequently triggered a fire.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be multiple blunt and sharp-force injuries.
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A Frontier Airlines plane taxis to a gate at Denver International Airport (DEN) on March 23, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
According to airport representatives, ground detection sensors set off an alarm near the perimeter fence shortly after 11 p.m.
Authorities said airport operators monitoring live surveillance cameras initially did not spot any trespassers. Instead, they identified what appeared to be a herd of deer near the fence line. Ditches in the area may have also partially obstructed their view of the individual, officials added.
Despite the initial findings, airport officials were notified shortly afterward that an individual had been struck by the aircraft while crossing the runway.
“And then just minutes later, we were alerted by the FAA of the person being hit,” Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said.
“It took approximately 15 seconds for this person, to jump over the eight-foot fence topped with barbed wire,” Washington added. “The time between climbing over the fence and being struck by the plane again was approximately two minutes.”
Officials added that Mott crossed roughly 650 feet of land to reach the runway after scaling the fence.
Thermal imaging shows an unidentified person scaling a perimeter fence before walking into the path of a Frontier airplane at Denver International Airport on May 8, 2026. (KDVR)
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After the incident, investigators said the fence in the area where the breach occurred was found to be completely intact.
Officials stated they do not currently know how Mott traveled to such a remote area as investigators did not find any car, bicycle or other types of vehicles nearby.
The airport’s security system relies on 36 miles of TSA-compliant fencing, along with closed-circuit cameras, thermal imaging, ground-based radar and security patrols.
Officials emphasized that safety protocols and perimeter security are currently under review to identify potential improvements to the airport’s defense system, including efforts to address potential camera blind spots caused by ditches near the fence line.
A plane departs from the Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado on May 6, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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There were 231 people on board Frontier Flight 4345, officials said.
Twelve passengers reported minor injuries, most of them sustained while using the emergency slide during the evacuation.
Five individuals were transported to local hospitals and four have been released. The condition of the remaining patient remains unknown.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted jointly by local law enforcement and federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
