WARNING: Graphic video and details

The identity of a man who was killed when he was hit by a plane and dismembered in its engine has been revealed as authorities detail his criminal past.

Michael Mott was killed when he stepped in front of a Frontier Airlines plane and was sucked into its engine after scaling the fence at Denver International Airport in Colorado and walking onto the runway on Friday night.

The engine of the Airbus A321neo consequently erupted into flames on impact just after it had been cleared for take-off, forcing the evacuation of more than 200 passengers.

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said Mr Mott was struck by the Los Angeles-bound plane two minutes after climbing over an eight-foot barbed-wire fence at 11.13pm.

A medical examination of the 41-year-old’s gruesome death, released on Tuesday by the Denver City and County Medical Examiner’s Office, revealed Mr Mott suffered blunt and sharp force injuries caused by the aircraft’s engine.

Chief medical examiner Dr Sterling McLaren ruled his death a suicide after investigating the totality of the incident.

According to The New York Post, Denver Police Department Chief Ron Thomas said officers did not locate a suicide note and later detailed Mr Mott’s criminal past.

“We currently are looking for any notes, computers, anything like that, trying to identify places where he most recently was,” Chief Thomas said.

A police spokesperson told The Post his most recent criminal involvement was linked to a reported assault in Denver in February 2025.

No arrests were made after the victim declined to press charges.

He also had a history of more than 20 arrests for crimes including attempted murder, domestic violence, felony menacing, assault, second-degree burglary and felony assault on a peace officer.

Mr Mott served time on at least three separate occasions dating back to 2002, according to public records. He attempted to escape prison in 2017.

Harrowing CCTV footage, released on Sunday, showed the horrifying moments in the lead-up to the fatality.

In the vision, the man can be seen walking calmly from one end of the runway to the other as the Frontier flight barrelled towards him.

The victim appeared to be in line with the engine of the jet as it collided with him, sucking the upper half of his body inside.

Flight data states the aircraft was travelling at 223km/hr at the time of impact.

A passenger who was on the flight with his sons told local media he observed “the legs of a human spinning around in the engine” right after the collision.

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