United Airlines flight: Boeing plane bursts into flames mid-air after rabbit gets caught in engine

On Sunday, April 13, the right engine on United Flight 2325 caught fire after a rabbit reportedly found itself on the runway as the airplane was departing Denver International Airport en route to Edmonton, Alberta. A spokesperson from United Airlines told PEOPLE in a statement: “On Sunday, our flight from Denver to Edmonton (UA2325) returned safely to Denver to address a possible wildlife strike.

“The aircraft returned to the gate, and we lined up a new aircraft to get our customers on their way”. At the time, 153 passengers and six crew members were aboard the Boeing 737-800.

“It was a loud bang, and a significant vibration on the plane,” Scott Wolff, one of the passengers on the United Airlines flight, told ABC News. Wolf added that “every few moments, there was a backfire coming from the engine,” also recalling the “giant fireball behind it.”

The plane remained in the air for 75 minutes before the crew had to shut off the right engine after making a mayday call. The plane made an emergency landing back in Denver a short time later.

The FAA is investigating the incident. More than 20,000 animal strikes, such as birds colliding with engines, were reported last year in the U.S. However, only four animal strikes reported in 2024 involved rabbits, according to the FAA database.