In a bizarre twist of fate more likely to star in a cartoon than a flight report, a rabbit is believed to have caused an engine fire on a United Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from Denver International Airport on Thursday evening.
United Flight 2325, en route to Edmonton, Alberta, was climbing into the night sky when a loud bang and violent vibrations shook the Boeing 737-800, prompting the flight crew to call for an emergency inspection.
Live air traffic control audio later confirmed the strange cause: “Rabbit through the number two, that'll do it,” the pilot radioed back after ground crews reported signs of an animal strike in the aircraft’s right engine.
“There was a loud bang, and a significant vibration in the plane,” passenger Scott Wolff told Good Morning America. “Every few moments, there was a backfire coming from the engine — a giant fireball behind it. Everyone in the plane then started to panic.”
From the ground, witnesses saw bright flames spewing from the aircraft’s right side. “My stomach dropped,” said airport visitor Wyatt McCurry. “I just thought, ‘I'm going to see a plane go down.’”
Fortunately, the plane made a safe U-turn and returned to Denver, landing around 8:05 p.m. with all 153 passengers and six crew members unharmed. United Airlines later confirmed the incident: “Our flight from Denver to Edmonton (UA2325) returned safely to Denver to address a possible wildlife strike.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the engine failure. While wildlife strikes are a known risk in aviation — with more than 20,000 reported across the U.S. last year — rabbit-related incidents are nearly unheard of. FAA records show only four rabbit strikes in 2023, with one occurring at Denver International Airport.
Despite the surreal cause, experts warn the threat is very real.