Colorado, April 17 - United Airlines Flight UA2325, a Boeing 737-800, experienced a harrowing incident shortly after departing from Denver International Airport on April 13, 2025, en route to Edmonton, Alberta. The flight, carrying 153 passengers and six crew members, encountered a rare and unexpected issue when its right-hand CFM56 engine ingested what authorities believe was a rabbit, leading to an engine fire and significant disruption. The aircraft, registered as N27213 and 27 years old, took off from runway 34L at 7:20 p.m. local time, only to face immediate complications that forced the crew to declare a mayday emergency.
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According to reports, passengers aboard the flight heard a loud bang followed by intense vibrations throughout the aircraft. Video footage captured from inside the cabin revealed large flames shooting intermittently from the right engine, accompanied by what one passenger, Scott Wolff, described as a “giant fireball” and periodic backfires. Wolff, speaking to ABC News, recounted the escalating panic among passengers as the plane continued to climb despite the visible fire. From the ground, onlooker Wyatt McCurry observed the flames and expressed fear that the plane might crash, a sentiment that underscored the severity of the situation as seen from below.
The flight crew, demonstrating quick decision-making, communicated with air traffic control to report the loss of the right engine and the presence of a fire near the wing. LiveATC audio captured the pilot’s response to the news of a possible rabbit strike: “Rabbit through the number 2, that’ll do it,” reflecting a mix of professionalism and acknowledgment of the unusual cause. The crew requested a holding pattern to run through emergency checklists, ensuring all protocols were followed. Approximately 40 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft safely returned to Denver, landing back on runway 34L at around 8:05 p.m. No injuries were reported, a testament to the crew’s training and the aircraft’s ability to operate on a single engine.
United Airlines issued a statement confirming that Flight UA2325 returned to Denver to address a “possible wildlife strike.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is investigating the incident, noted that the crew reported striking an animal during departure. The FAA’s 2024 data highlights that wildlife strikes, while common with over 21,000 incidents annually in the United States, rarely involve rabbits, with only four such cases reported, including one at Denver. The affected aircraft remained grounded for over 36 hours before resuming service on April 15. Passengers were promptly transferred to a replacement Boeing 737-800, arriving in Edmonton roughly three hours late. The incident, though alarming, underscores the robustness of aviation safety protocols and the rarity of such an event, as rabbit strikes are far less common than bird strikes, which dominate wildlife-related aviation incidents.