A man who was sucked into a jet engine at Denver International Airport and dismembered after stepping in front of an airplane was a career criminal with a history of violent crimes. Authorities now believe he was trying to kill himself.
Suicide Determined
The Denver City and Country Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Michael Mott, 41, intentionally walked onto the runway as the jet sped toward him. Chief Medical Examiner Sterling McLaren said Tuesday that the cause of death was multiple blunt and sharp force injuries. No suicide note was recovered, according to Denver Police.
Extensive Criminal Record
Mott had a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 2002, with over 20 arrests and at least three jail terms. His arrests included second-degree homicide using a gun in 2005, domestic violence and assault in 2010, second-degree burglary in 2016, and felony assault on a peace officer in 2020. He also attempted to escape prison in 2017. As a teenager, he faced charges for DUI, hit-and-run, trespassing, and resisting arrest. In 2025, he was involved in an assault but not charged. One month before his death, he was arrested for felony trespass.
Grim Footage of Incident
Video footage shows Mott hopping the perimeter fence and walking onto the tarmac before colliding with an Airbus A-321neo during takeoff. The plane was moving at 139 mph when it struck him, according to FlightAware. Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington stated that an alert went off about nine minutes earlier, but an airport operator initially saw only a herd of deer outside the fence. The trespasser was out of view in ditches for some time. It took approximately 15 seconds for him to climb the 8-foot fence topped with barbed wire. The time between climbing the fence and being struck by the plane was about two minutes. The incident occurred about two miles from the terminal, and authorities were unable to intervene.
Pilot and Witness Accounts
In-flight audio captured the pilot saying, “Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway. Uh, we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire. I do have limbs on the runway. I believe the aircraft struck an individual… There appear to be human remains on the runway.” Passenger John Anthens, traveling with his sons, saw “the legs of a human spinning around the engine.” He described the scene as horrific, with people screaming and children crying after a loud explosion. The engine burst into flames moments later. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated; 12 passengers sustained minor injuries.
