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• Thu Apr 17 2025

A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing after a rabbit was sucked into the engine, causing a fire

The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Denver International Airport en route to Edmonton, Canada

Passengers reported loud bangs and visible fireballs from the engine, sparking panic on board though the plane landed safely

Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.

A United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing on Sunday, April 13, after a rabbit was sucked into the engine shortly after takeoff.

A United Airlines plane (r) (photo for illustration) made an emergency landing after a rabbit sucked in its engine. Firefighters at the scene (l). Photo: ADEK BERRY via Getty Images/ABC News.

Source: Facebook

The incident caused an engine fire and sparked panic among passengers.

Flight UA2325 had departed from Denver International Airport en route to Edmonton, Alberta, when the Boeing 737-800, carrying 153 passengers and six crew members, experienced a loud bang and significant vibrations.

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What happened inside the United Airlines plane?

LiveATC audio captured the flight crew requesting an engine inspection and confirming that a rabbit had been ingested into engine number two.

?Rabbit through the number 2, that'll do it,? the pilot was heard responding.

A video captured from inside the plane showed visibly unsettled passengers shouting "fire" as the incident unfolded.

Passenger Scott Wolff described hearing repeated backfires and seeing large fireballs from the engine.

Wyatt McCurry recounted witnessing the United Airlines plane in flames. Photo: ABC News.

Source: Youtube

Another witness, Wyatt McCurry, who observed the incident from the ground, said he feared the worst as he saw flames trailing the aircraft.

"My stomach dropped, and I just thought, 'I'm going to see a plane go down,'" he stated.

Despite the dramatic scenes, the flight crew managed to safely return the aircraft to Denver by around 8.05pm local time.

According to a report ABC News, United Airlines issued a statement assuring that the aircraft returned safely after 75 minutes and that the affected passengers later continued their journey to Edmonton aboard a different plane.

How did people react to the plane incident?

Jennifer Beach

"Does nobody else find it odd that they waited 75 minutes? That has to be an error."

Izzabel Blanche

"Rabbit creeped into engine whilst on the ground. Must?ve been hiding from a predatory bird poor thing."

Eric Bolduc

"There is always fire in the engine. Flames coming out from the exhaust is not necessarily a symptom of an engine on fire. Engine airflow disruption due to compressor stalls and or damages will likely cause this kind of issue. Fortunately, twin engines aircraft can fly on a single one and after careful considerations from the pilots, the unstable engine is usually idle or shutdown followed by a relatively normal landing after completing the required procedures."

Yan Dunbar

"I thought birds or ducks usually get in these spots but rabbits probably was doing a hop hop on the runway."

Kenya Airways diverts flights over poor visibility

In other news, Kenya Airways diverted several flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Mombasa and Tanzania due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog.

The airline stated that the diversions were a precautionary measure to prioritise the safety of passengers and crew.

As a result, the carrier informed passengers to expect delays in flight departures and arrivals throughout the day.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke