United Airlines Flight Makes Unexpected Stop After Engine Incident

Airplane wing with engine on fire mid-flight. — View at the flame of airplane engine from an illuminator. Traveler looking out the window on a falling airplane. (3D illustration)

A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Denver after a rabbit was sucked into one of its engines, causing dramatic flames to erupt and panic among the 159 passengers and crew on board.

Key Insights

United Airlines Flight UA2325 from Denver to Edmonton experienced engine fire after a rabbit was ingested during takeoff.
The Boeing 737-800 safely returned to Denver International Airport after approximately 75 minutes in the air with no injuries reported.
Passengers described hearing a “loud bang” followed by significant vibrations and witnessing fireballs shooting from the engine.
Wildlife strikes are common in aviation (over 20,000 reported in 2023), but rabbit strikes are extremely rare with only four reported incidents last year.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident.

Dramatic Engine Fire Forces Emergency Return

The incident unfolded when United Airlines Flight UA2325, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 153 passengers and six crew members, departed Denver International Airport bound for Edmonton, Alberta. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered a serious situation when a rabbit was ingested into the right engine, causing immediate mechanical problems. The plane’s engine began shooting flames, creating a dangerous situation that required immediate action from the flight crew.

Passenger Scott Wolff described the frightening moments aboard the flight: “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

Swift Response from Flight Crew

LiveATC audio recordings captured the pilot’s communication with air traffic control, where he calmly reported, “Rabbit through the number 2, that’ll do it.” Despite the alarming situation, the flight crew responded professionally, turning the aircraft around approximately 75 minutes after takeoff. The pilots’ quick decision-making was crucial in managing what could have been a catastrophic situation, especially considering the visible flames that were documented by passengers and observers on the ground.

Firefighters were on standby when the aircraft safely landed back at Denver International Airport. Upon landing, the passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue their journey to Edmonton. United Airlines confirmed that there were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew, a testament to the skillful handling of the emergency by the flight team.

Rare Wildlife Incident Prompts Investigation

United Airlines issued a statement about the incident, “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.” The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, which falls into a rare category of wildlife strikes.

While wildlife strikes are a known hazard in aviation, with over 20,000 incidents reported in the United States in 2023 alone, rabbit strikes are exceedingly uncommon. FAA data shows that among the thousands of wildlife encounters last year, only four involved rabbits, including one at Denver International Airport. The rarity of such incidents highlights the unusual nature of this particular emergency, which nonetheless demonstrates the importance of pilot training and emergency protocols in commercial aviation.