Man hospitalized after entering DIA airfield just months after deadly trespassing incident

It happened again? How does a person end up walking out there? If you’ve driven to DIA, you’ve seen how massive the property is. So hearing that someone got onto the restricted airfield — again — raises a question: How?

A man was found on the north side of DIA’s airfield around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 10.

Police identified him as 23-year-old Kibrom Tesfamichael. He was taken to a hospital for medical attention and cited for trespassing. No aircraft collision was reported.

How did he get in? Airport radio traffic indicated he appeared to have climbed the perimeter fence. Exactly how he reached it, how far he walked afterward and how long he was there remain unclear. Airport operations employees contacted him before police arrived.

DIA covers approximately 53 square miles. Aviation experts say securing that much ground requires more than fencing: detecting intrusions and responding quickly are critical.

The incident comes five months after Michael Mott was struck and killed by a departing Frontier plane on May 8 after climbing the airport’s fence. The collision caused an engine fire and emergency evacuation.

Passengers and crew members have since filed a lawsuit alleging airport personnel failed to properly respond to an intrusion alarm before that collision. Denver disputes legal responsibility; the allegations have not been established in court.

For those of us who fly through DIA, the concern isn’t just keeping people out—it’s stopping them before they reach a plane.

Read more about DIA airfield and security breaches here.