Death of man struck by Frontier Airlines plane ruled suicide by medical examiner

"The man who was fatally struck on Friday by a departing Frontier Airlines flight on the runway of Denver international airport died by suicide, the city's medical examiner said Tuesday at a news conference. On Friday evening, the man, identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott, jumped an 8-ft fence with barbed wire onto the runway, according to Phillip Washington, the airport's chief executive. Roughly 2 mins lapsed between Mott's breach of the runway and when he was hit by the Frontier aircraft."

"Mott was not an airport employee. He had previous contact with metropolitan-area law enforcement, said Ron Thomas, the Denver police chief. It's unclear what the contact entailed. The determination of Mott's manner of death was based on an investigation and scene findings, said Sterling McLaren, a medical examiner. Mott suffered multiple blunt and sharp force injuries."

"After the incident, we examined the fence, as we do on a regular basis, and found it to be intact, Washington said. The airport's perimeter fencing spans 36 miles. Ground detection sensors set off an alarm near where Mott scaled the fence. An investigator reviewing the alarm identified a herd of deer, but did not initially see Mott, according to Washington. The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual, Washington said."

"Given the short time period, we were not able to intervene and prevent this person from reaching the runway. The airport is not considering electrifying the fence or making it taller. We believe a motivated individual could find a way to penetrate it, he said. Asked by a reporter about changes to the perimeter security, Washington said we will look to see what improvements we can make. The Transportation Security Administration sets guidance about the dimension and heights of airport fencing, which Washington said the airport has adhered to."

A 41-year-old man, Michael Mott, died by suicide after jumping an 8-foot fence with barbed wire onto the runway at Denver International Airport. About two minutes passed between his breach and when he was hit by a departing Frontier Airlines aircraft. He was not an airport employee and had prior contact with metropolitan-area law enforcement, though the nature of that contact was unclear. The medical examiner determined the manner of death based on an investigation and scene findings, noting multiple blunt and sharp force injuries. The incident raised questions about airport security. The airport reported that its perimeter fencing was intact, spans 36 miles, and has ground detection sensors that triggered an alarm near the breach. An investigator initially saw deer on camera and did not initially see Mott, and the airport said the short time window prevented intervention. The airport is not considering electrifying or raising the fence, but will look for possible improvements consistent with TSA guidance.

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