Runway Rabbit Sparks Mid-Air Emergency on United Airlines Flight

What began as a routine flight from Denver to Edmonton turned into a tense and unexpected ordeal — all because of a rabbit.

On Sunday evening, April 13, United Airlines Flight 2325 lifted off from Denver International Airport with 153 passengers and six crew members aboard. But just moments after takeoff, passengers were jolted by a loud bang and a violent vibration from the right side of the aircraft.

“It sounded like a gunshot right beside us,” passenger Scott Wolff told reporters. “Then the whole plane just started shaking.”

Unbeknownst to those onboard, the source of the chaos was an unlikely culprit: a rabbit. The animal had somehow made its way onto the runway and collided with the right engine of the Boeing 737-800 during takeoff. The impact caused the engine to catch fire mid-air, triggering what would become a 75-minute flight filled with tension and uncertainty.

Despite the alarming situation, the pilots kept their cool. The plane continued to climb initially, but cockpit audio later revealed the crew suspected the engine damage might have affected the landing gear.

“The landing gear, we have indications, is now locked up,” one of the pilots reported.

As the situation unfolded, witnesses on the ground and passengers in the air captured dramatic images and videos showing sparks and bursts of flame shooting from the engine. Passengers described “giant fireballs” and continuous backfiring, further fueling panic in the cabin.

“Everybody on the plane then started to panic,” Wolff said. “My stomach dropped.”

Wyatt McCurry, watching from the ground, echoed the fear: “I just thought, ‘I’m gonna see a plane go down.’”

Fortunately, the crew managed to safely return to Denver, where emergency crews were standing by as the plane landed. No injuries were reported, and passengers were eventually rebooked on a different aircraft to continue their journey to Alberta, Canada.

United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the aircraft returned “to address a possible wildlife strike.”

While animal strikes on aircraft are not uncommon — over 20,000 were reported in the U.S. last year — collisions involving rabbits are extremely rare. According to FAA data, only four rabbit-related strikes have been reported so far in 2024.

The FAA is currently investigating the incident.