DIA CEO, pilot airline security experts speak out about deadly pedestrian collision

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver International Airport's CEO Phil Washington is speaking out about Friday's fatal collision involving a Frontier Airlines jet and a pedestrian who climbed over a security fence. The collision occurred on Friday just before 11:30 p.m. as the plane attempted to take off for Los Angeles. FOX31 obtained surveillance video released by DIA showing thermal video of a person walking onto runway 17L as the plane attempted to take off. Federal officials confirm the person climbed over a perimeter fence. An engine fire then occurred. Twelve passengers were injured during an emergency exit from the plane.   A portion of the statement indicated that the ongoing investigation by the Denver Police Department, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration could take some time to complete. "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," Washington said. The bizarre collision continues to shock airline passengers around the world.  "I mean, you have to go out of your way to get run over by a plane," one traveler told FOX31.  Transmissions from first responders said, "Sorry about the delay, runway 17L is closed. I do have, uh, I do have, uh, limbs on the runway, I believe the aircraft struck an individual." DIA tells FOX31 that continuous perimeter inspections, which also utilize technology, are conducted on all 36 miles of the airport's security fence. The airport staff will perform an incident analysis and after-action review in the coming days, which includes the ongoing investigation and the perimeter security program. MSU Denver airline industry expert Jeff Price tells FOX31 he is surprised to see this kind of accident since airports have top security measures in place with fences that meet FAA specifications. "I've seen perimeter breaches, people jumping fences. I've seen people getting injured by aircraft. Usually, they're working around the plane when that happens or on the ramp areas. This is quite an extraordinary incident," he told FOX31. Price says airports are constantly monitoring advancements in new technology that can strengthen existing security measures. Pilot and Ramos Law Aviation Director Joseph LoRusso told FOX31 flight crews and passengers deserve the utmost support after experiencing accidents of any kind. "Engine strikes while taking off or even landing or taxiing are fairly common in the state of Colorado, when we're talking about a human being, that's a whole different element, honestly just pure terror," he said. LoRusso, who has flown for the federal government, including NASA, credits the pilots with acting quickly and making sound decisions to prevent the situation from getting worse. "At a very high speed, managed to get the airplane stopped on the runway, get the fire controlled, notify air traffic control, get the airplane to a stop, and performed an egress, very impressive in a short amount of time," he said. Washington provided the following statement. "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."