A United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing over the weekend after a rabbit was sucked into an engine, sparking a fire just moments after takeoff.
United Flight 2325 had just departed from Denver International Airport en route to Edmonton, Canada, on Sunday, April 13, when flames began shooting from one of its engines. Dramatic footage captured from the ground showed repeated flashes of fire coming from the right-side engine during the aircraft’s initial ascent.
According to air traffic control audio obtained by LiveATC, the flight crew quickly requested an emergency inspection for a suspected engine fire. The pilot could be heard confirming the source: “Rabbit through the number 2 [engine], that’ll do it,” as reported by ABC News.
Passenger Scott Wolff described the frightening moment to Good Morning America, recalling a “loud bang” followed by heavy vibrations throughout the cabin. “Every few moments there was a backfire coming from the engine — a giant fireball behind it,” he said. “Everyone in the plane then started to panic.”
The flight, carrying 153 passengers and six crew members, returned safely to Denver and landed at approximately 8:05 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Passengers were later transferred to another aircraft to complete the journey to Edmonton.
United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement: “Our flight from Denver to Edmonton (UA2325) returned safely to Denver to address a possible wildlife strike.”
While bird strikes are the most common type of wildlife-related aircraft incident, the FAA reported over 20,000 wildlife strikes in 2024 alone. Of those, only four involved rabbits.
