A United Airlines engine exploded into a fireball, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. Shocking footage shows flames bursting from the engine after a rabbit was sucked in. After the plane took off from Denver International Airport, which was flying to Edmonton, Canada, the crew onboard the United Flight 2325 flagged the engine fire, LiveATC audio documents show.
Shortly after inspection, the pilot discovered the cause, and could be heard saying: “Rabbit through the number 2 [engine], that’ll do it.” One passenger on the flight, Scott Wolff, reported hearing a loud bang, which is when the rabbit was apparently sucked in. Speaking on Good Morning America, he said: “Every few moments there was a backfire coming from the engine, a giant fireball behind it."
“Everyone in the plane then started to panic," he added.
Onboard the United flight was 153 passengers and six crew members. After the incident was raised, the plane made an emergency landing back in Denver around 8.05pm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The fire service responded to the event as a standard protocol, Denver Airport Public Information Officer Keylen Villagrana told CNN.
Passengers on the flight then boarded a new plane to fly to Edmonton shortly after.
A witness to the event, Wyatt McCurry, told the news station that he saw the flames erupt from the Boeing 737-800 while at Denver airport. "My stomach dropped and I just thought, 'I'm going to see a plane go down,'" he said.
United Airlines said: “Our flight from Denver to Edmonton (UA2325) returned safely to Denver to address a possible wildlife strike.”
Last year, the FAA reported more than 20,000 wildlife strikes in the United States. However, only four were rabbit strikes - the majority were birds.
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