Fire in Engine During Flight... The Cause of the Daring Accident Was 'This Animal'

United Airlines passenger plane collides with rabbit during takeoff
Returns safely to departure airport 75 minutes after takeoff

A United Airlines passenger plane in the United States collided with a rabbit shortly after takeoff, causing an engine fire and forcing the plane to return to the airport. There were a total of 159 people on board, but fortunately, there were no casualties from the incident.

On the 17th (local time), US ABC News and others reported that United Airlines flight 2325, which departed from Denver International Airport and was heading to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, returned due to an engine fire on the 13th. The audio recording at the time captured the flight crew requesting a check for engine fire and mentioning that it seemed a rabbit had been sucked into the engine.

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It was determined that the fire occurred when a rabbit was sucked into the right engine during takeoff, which is considered a very rare incident of an animal striking an aircraft. The plane, a Boeing 737-800 model, had 153 passengers and 6 crew members on board, totaling 159 people. Fortunately, the plane returned safely to Denver Airport and landed without incident 75 minutes after takeoff.

Scott Wolf, a passenger on the flight at the time of the accident, said, "There was a loud explosion, and there was significant vibration inside the plane." He added, "The plane continued to climb, but there were backfires from the engine at intervals, followed by a huge ball of fire." He further stated, "Then everyone on the plane began to panic." A witness on the ground at Denver Airport who observed the incident said, "It felt like my stomach was turning," and added, "I even thought, 'I might have to watch the plane crash.'"

United Airlines issued a statement saying, "Flight UA2325 from Denver to Edmonton safely returned to Denver in response to a wildlife strike." The airline said that passengers later boarded another plane to continue to Edmonton and that a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

While collisions between aircraft and wildlife are very common, incidents involving rabbits are rare. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), over 20,000 wildlife strikes involving aircraft occurred in the United States last year. The majority of the animals involved were birds, with only four incidents involving rabbits.