A United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in the United States after a fire broke out in one of its engines, reportedly caused by a rabbit being sucked into the aircraft’s turbine before takeoff, officials and eyewitnesses said.
The incident occurred on Sunday aboard a flight from Denver to Edmonton, which had 159 passengers on board, local broadcaster ABC7 reported.
Shortly after departure, flames were seen shooting from the right engine of the aircraft, prompting panic inside the cabin. Passengers described seeing a “giant fireball” and hearing repeated backfiring sounds from the engine.
Video footage taken by passengers showed large flames erupting from the engine as the plane remained on the ground.
“It looked like a backfire every few moments, and then a huge fireball. Everyone started to panic,” said passenger Wyatt McCurry.
The airline attributed the incident to a “wildlife strike,” a term used to describe animals interfering with aircraft operations, often during takeoff or landing. In this case, witnesses claimed a rabbit was pulled into the engine before the aircraft left the ground.
The flight returned to the gate after approximately 75 minutes in the air and landed safely. No injuries were reported.
“The aircraft returned to the gate, and we’ve lined up a new aircraft to get our customers on their way,” a United Airlines spokesperson told ABC7.
