United Airlines flight makes emergency landing after suspected rabbit strike sparks engine fire

A United Airlines flight from Denver to Edmonton was forced to make an emergency landing on Sunday after a suspected rabbit strike caused flames to shoot from the aircraft’s right engine.

Flight UA2325, a Boeing 737-800 (reg. N27213) carrying 159 passengers, had just taken off when passengers reported a loud bang and intense vibrations. A shocking video from inside the cabin captured flames and backfires erupting from the engine.

“It looked like fireballs shooting out of the engine every few moments,” passenger Scott Wolff said, describing panic onboard. Witness Wyatt McCurry, watching from the ground, feared the worst: “My stomach dropped. I thought I was going to see a plane go down.”

The pilots remained calm and turned the aircraft around, landing safely in Denver after about 75 minutes in the air. No injuries were reported, and United arranged a replacement aircraft to continue the journey.