WASHINGTON/DENVER: A Frontier Airlines plane struck and killed a pedestrian on the runway at Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport officials said, causing an engine fire and forcing passengers to eject.“DEN can confirm that the pedestrian crossed the perimeter fence and was struck just two minutes later while crossing the runway,” the statement said. “The pedestrian has died, and is not believed to be an airport employee and has not been identified,” the statement said. ABC News, citing an official, reported that the man was “at least partially engulfed by an engine”.According to Frontier, the Los Angeles-bound Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members.According to audio from ATC.com, the pilot of Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 told air traffic controllers at 11:19 p.m. Friday, “We’re stalling on the runway, we’ve just hit someone, our engine is on fire… there was a person walking on the runway.”The air traffic controller responded that they were “turning the trucks around right now” before the pilot told the tower that “There is smoke in the plane. We’re going to evacuate to the runway.”The plane was immediately evacuated and the 12 passengers on board suffered minor injuries. The airport said all five were transported to local hospitals. The Denver Fire Department said the engine fire was briefly extinguished.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said local law enforcement is investigating the incident. “No one should ever trespass at an airport,” he wrote on Twitter.The airport authority said it had checked the fence line and found it intact. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified of the incident and the runway in question, 17L, will remain closed during the investigation.