The man who died after being struck by a plane on a runway at Denver International Airport last week has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott.
Airport CEO Phil Washington confirmed Tuesday at a news conference that Mott climbed over an 8-foot-tall, TSA-approved perimeter fence topped with barbed wire late Friday night and entered a restricted area of the airfield before being hit by a Frontier Airlines aircraft.
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Dr. Sterling McLaren, Denver's chief medical examiner, ruled the cause of death was multiple blunt and sharp force injuries. The manner of death was declared a suicide.
“The cause of death was created by the engine of the plane and then there was a fire following that impact,” she said.
The official timeline of events leading up to the incident is incredibly short. Detection sensors near the airport’s eastern perimeter were triggered around 11:10 p.m. Operators in the terminal nearly 2 miles away reviewed the alert and saw a herd of deer outside the fence line, causing them to initially miss the Mott as the trigger.
“The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual,” Washington said. “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, so again, within about 120 seconds or so all of this occurred.”
Timeline of incident
11:10 p.m.: DEN’s eastern perimeter detection sensor is triggered
11:10 p.m.: Reviewing agent sees deer on the monitor at the trigger point
11:13 p.m.: Mott climbs fence
11:15 p.m.: Mott is struck by plane
Officials say Mott climbed the fence at approximately 11:13 p.m., just minutes after the initial alert. It took him roughly 15 seconds to scale the fence. About two minutes later, at 11:15 p.m., he was struck while crossing Runway 17.
“Given the short time period, we were not able to intervene and prevent this person from reaching the runway,” Washington said.
The area where Mott entered is surrounded by farm land and investigators are still trying to determine how he got there. No bike or car was left near the entry point. Officials also said they did not find a suicide note.
Investigators say they are working to better understand Mott’s actions leading up to the incident and are asking anyone who may have had recent contact with him to call police.
Public records show Mott has had significant prior contact with law enforcement in Colorado. A state criminal history report lists arrests and convictions spanning the course of more than two decades, including violent offenses like assault and trespassing-related incidents.
In 2020, he was arrested for assault of a peace officer. In that case, he entered a plea of not guilty, claiming insanity. Those charges were dismissed in 2025, according to court records.
Just weeks before his death, Mott was arrested on charges including felony trespass of a dwelling, resisting arrest and criminal mischief in Colorado Springs.
The impact of Mott’s actions quickly shifted from a security issue on the airfield to an emergency inside the Frontier flight. The plane was carrying 224 passengers, all of whom were driven back to the terminal as crews worked to secure the scene.
“The passengers on the plane were bused back to concourse A as quickly as we were able while still trying to preserve what was a 4,000 foot debris field created by the incident,” Washington said.
Twelve people on board reported minor injuries, most of which occurred during the evacuation process. Five were transported to hospitals, and most have since been released. It’s unclear what injuries were suffered by the single passenger who remains hospitalized.
Denver International Airport leaders say they are now conducting an after-action review, including a closer look at perimeter security.
“Let me say very plainly, safety is paramount in everything that we do,” Washington said. “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, we conduct after action reviews to identify areas for improvement and we will do that here as well.”
The airport maintains about 36 miles of fencing across 53 square miles, monitored by patrols, cameras and ground-based radar systems. While the fence in the area was found to be intact, officials acknowledged potential visibility challenges, including terrain features like ditches that can briefly obscure individuals from camera view.
“Since this incident, we have been asked, ‘Why don't you electrify the fence or why isn’t the fence taller or why don’t you use razor wire instead of barbed wire?’” Washington said. “Safety and security, again, is always our top priority. We don't want our fence to be deadly, and even if the fence was taller, we believe a motivated individual could find a way to penetrate it. That is why we have many layers of security.”
During Tuesday’s news conference, officials emphasized the emotional toll of the incident and Mott’s death on witnesses, passengers and first responders.
“I want to acknowledge that this was an incredibly difficult and traumatic situation for a lot of people and my heart goes out to all of them as they process what they experienced,” said Denver Chief of Police, Ron Thomas who aided in the investigation.
The incident remains under investigation by multiple agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, Denver Police, the FAA and the TSA.
To read more stories from Colorado Public Radio, visit www.cpr.org.
