The man who climbed a link fence and was hit by a Frontier airplane at Denver International Airport has been identified.
Officials said Michael Mott, 41, went over the perimeter fence just before the plane took off for Los Angeles, according to The New York Times.
Mott was not an airport employee, and Chief Medical Examiner Sterling McLaren said the man was drawn into the plane’s engine and was killed. His death was ruled a suicide.
Pilots immediately aborted takeoff after the plane’s engine caught fire. All 224 passengers and seven crew members were forced to evacuate the jet using emergency slides after the aircraft’s cabin started filling with smoke.
Twelve people had minor injuries, with five having to be taken to hospitals.
Officials are trying to find out why Mott committed suicide by running in front of the plane, adding that no note explaining what led to him taking such a drastic move has been found.
His cousin, Jason Gallegos, released a statement, which said Mott was a great person with a big heart, adding, “he had so much love to give anyone that would accept it.”
How did he avoid detection?
Officials are still trying to determine why the safeguards did not detect Mott before the fatal incident.
The airport has 36 miles of fence, a closed-circuit television system, security patrols, and ground-based radar to prevent unauthorized entry into the area.
The ground detection system did trigger an alarm near where Mott scaled the eight-foot-tall fence, but an operator said a herd of deer was in the area. A motion detector did capture both the deer and Mott, but there were also several ditches where he could have hidden.
“Last Friday night, the ground detection sensors set off an alarm at this location at 11:10,” airport chief executive Phillip Washington said, according to KKTV. “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 bit as well. And then just minutes later, we were alerted by the FAA of the person being hit.”
“Given the short time period, we were not able to intervene and prevent this person from reaching the runway,” Washington said.
Officials are reviewing airport security.
The National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, along with local law enforcement and airport officials, are still investigating the incident.
Potential lawsuit
Meanwhile, passengers onboard the flight may be suing the city of Denver, KDVR reported.
The pending suit said the airport could have done more to secure the area.
Ramos Law and DJC Law have announced a legal notice under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act on behalf of the passengers.
Eight said they have had mental and physical injuries after the airplane filled with smoke, which forced them to evacuate.
Other passengers may join the lawsuit.
The legal filing seeks more than $10 million in damages after the lawyers said that there were failures in the design, maintenance, monitoring and operation of the airport’s security. The team also cites the alleged failure of staff to notify air traffic control about the intrusion, KDVR reported.
Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.
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