United Airlines Plane Diverts Urgently as Unexpected Passenger Disrupts Engine

A United Airlines flight from Denver to Edmonton was forced to make an emergency landing after a rabbit was sucked into its engine, causing terrifying fireballs to erupt as the Boeing 737 climbed into the sky.

Key Takeaways

United Airlines Flight UA2325 suffered an engine fire after a rabbit was ingested during takeoff, forcing an emergency return to Denver International Airport.
The Boeing 737-800 had 153 passengers and 6 crew members on board, all of whom were safely evacuated with no injuries reported.
Passengers reported hearing a loud bang followed by significant vibrations as the engine repeatedly backfired, shooting visible flames.
While wildlife strikes are common in aviation with over 20,000 reported in 2023, rabbit strikes are extremely rare with only four documented cases.
The FAA is investigating the incident.

Rare Wildlife Encounter Creates Midair Emergency

United Airlines Flight UA2325 departed Denver International Airport bound for Edmonton, Alberta. Shortly after takeoff, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 153 passengers and 6 crew members encountered an unexpected hazard when a rabbit was ingested into the right engine. The encounter caused immediate and visible damage as the engine began emitting large fireballs, visible both to passengers and observers on the ground.

Passenger Scott Wolff described the harrowing moments after the rabbit strike, “There was a loud bang and a significant vibration in the plane we proceeded to still climb. Every few moments there was a backfire coming from the engine, a giant fireball behind it. Everybody in the plane then started to panic,” said Wolff.

Rabbit sucked into United Airlines’ plane engine causes ‘giant fireball,’ forces flight to make emergency landing https://t.co/D0BomzJfDu pic.twitter.com/2h9cdkWe6T

— New York Post (@nypost) April 16, 2025

Quick Crew Response Prevents Disaster

The flight crew immediately recognized the severity of the situation and contacted air traffic control. In LiveATC audio recordings captured during the incident, the pilot can be heard matter-of-factly stating, “Rabbit through the number 2, that’ll do it,” confirming the unusual nature of the wildlife strike. The crew requested an inspection for an engine fire and made the decision to turn the aircraft around after approximately 75 minutes in the air.

Wyatt McCurry, who witnessed the incident from the ground, feared the worst as he saw the engine spewing flames. Firefighters were positioned and ready when the aircraft safely returned to Denver, where all passengers were able to disembark without injuries. United Airlines quickly arranged for a replacement aircraft to complete the journey to Edmonton, minimizing disruption to passengers’ travel plans following their frightening experience.

Extremely Rare Occurrence in Aviation Safety

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the incident. While wildlife strikes are a recognized hazard in aviation, with over 20,000 reported in the United States in 2023 alone, encounters with rabbits are exceedingly uncommon. According to available data, only four rabbit strikes were documented last year, including one at Denver International Airport, making this particular incident a statistical anomaly in aviation safety records.

The incident highlights both the unpredictable nature of wildlife encounters in aviation and the importance of pilot training for emergency scenarios. The successful management of this potentially disastrous situation demonstrates the effectiveness of safety protocols and the quick thinking of flight crews when faced with unexpected challenges in the air. Despite the dramatic nature of the engine fire, the outcome serves as a testament to aviation safety systems working as designed.