Denver International Airport CEO says ground detection sensors alarmed before deadly runway incident

Denver International Airport's CEO, the Denver police chief and Denver's chief medical examiner provided an update Tuesday on the investigation into last Friday's deadly plane incident on runway 17-L. According to the chief medical examiner, the manner of death for the person who died, identified as Michael Mott, was suicide. 

Investigators said Mott, 41, hopped the 8-foot perimeter fence topped with barbed wire at 11:13 p.m. on May 8 and was on the active runway within two minutes before he was hit and killed by Frontier Flight 4345, which was taking off, bound for Los Angeles. The incident caused the engine to burst into flames. 

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington began by saying, "We are extremely saddened by the incident and express our deepest sympathies to all of those involved. This was a horrible tragedy that has affected many people." 

Washington said that 12 people reported minor injuries in the incident. Five of those were rushed to the hospital, and as of Tuesday morning, all but one had been released from the hospital. Passengers recalled a jarring evacuation from the plane before they were bused back to the airport's Concourse A. 

"We understand that most of the 12 people who were transported were a result of the evacuation," said Washington. 

Washington said that those passengers were bused back to the terminal "as quickly as possible, while trying to preserve what was a 4,000-foot debris field created by the incident. We knew this was going to be considered a crime scene." 

The runway was closed for several hours and reopened the next morning, May 9. 

Washington said that the airport has a "layered approach" to securing its 36-mile perimeter. The airport says it uses continuous patrols, fencing, and cameras, among other security tools.

This recent incident has sparked concerns over some vulnerabilities in security. The airport is the second-largest in land mass in the world, second only to Saudi Arabia, according to Washington. 

"Last Friday night, the ground detection sensors set off an alarm at this location at 11:10. DEN's operator on duty reviewed the alarm, and identified a herd of deer just outside of the perimeter fence very near to where the incident occurred. They did not initially see the trespasser. The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual. There are some ditches in the area, so the person was out of view for a while," said Washington. 

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said that Denver police units arrived on scene about 1:20 a.m. to assist DEN Airport Operations.

"Once the scene was secured, Denver police homicide and crash investigators responded to assist with the investigation due to their experience with death investigations and documenting large scenes," said Thomas. 

"Safety is paramount in everything that we do. It is paramount in the aviation industry in general, and it is definitely paramount here at DEN after significant events or incidents such as this, or even incidents that do not rise to this level, we conduct after-action reviews to identify areas for improvement," said Washington. 

Denver Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Sterling McLaren urged those who are struggling with mental health issues to seek help, "If you or someone you know is struggling, there's free and confidential support available by calling or texting 988, which is Colorado's Mental Health Helpline." 

According to the website, 988 offers free, immediate, confidential human support 24/7.  

Washington said that many agencies are investigating the incident, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the Denver Police Department, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Denver medical examiner. 

"Going forward, the Denver Police Department, airport police division will be continuing to work with DEN Operations to review and evaluate this incident to include any perimeter security concerns," said Thomas. 

Denver International Airport opened more than three decades ago, on Feb. 28, 1995.