United Airlines Flight with 737 Suffers Engine Fire

1 dzień temu

DENVER- A United Airlines (UA) Boeing 737-800 experienced an engine fire shortly after departing Denver International Airport (DEN) on Sunday, April 13.

The aircraft circled back and landed at Denver Airport (DEN) after an hour. Officials later confirmed that the engine fire was caused by an unusual “Rabbit Strike”.

United Engine Fire

United Airlines (UA) Flight UA2325 was bound for Edmonton, Alberta (YEG), and carried 153 passengers and 6 crew members. The aircraft registered N27213 took off from Denver Airport (DEN) at 07:20 PM local time, and shortly after takeoff, it experienced an engine fire due to what was believed to be a “wildlife strike”.

The Pilots made an emergency call and decided to turn back to Denver. The aircraft returned safely at about 8:05 PM local time. Officials later identified it as an unusual wildlife encounter of a ‘Rabbit‘.

LiveATC recordings captured the pilots requesting an inspection for an engine fire upon their return. Ground personnel informed the flight crew that a rabbit had been ingested into the aircraft’s number 2 engine.

“Rabbit through the number 2, that’ll do it.”

The pilot acknowledged in the recorded communication

Passenger Remarks

Passenger Scott Wolff described the frightening moments to “Good Morning America” stating: “There was a loud bang, and a significant vibration in the plane.” As the aircraft continued to climb, Wolff observed recurring engine problems.

“Every few moments, there was a backfire coming from the engine, a giant fireball behind it. Everyone in the plane then started to panic.”

Scott Wolff, Passenger on United Airlines Flight UA2325

The incident was visible from the ground as well. Witness Wyatt McCurry, who was at Denver International Airport (DEN) at the time, saw the flames emanating from the aircraft. “My stomach dropped and I just thought, ‘I’m going to see a plane go down,’” McCurry said.

Official Statements

United Airlines (UA) confirmed the incident in a statement, saying: “Our flight from Denver to Edmonton (UA2325) returned safely to Denver to address a possible wildlife strike.” The FAA provided additional details, noting that “the crew reported striking an animal while departing.”

After landing safely in Denver, passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue their journey to Edmonton. The airline ensured all travellers reached their intended destination despite the disruption.

Investigation and Context

The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident to determine specifics about how the strike occurred and review the aircraft’s response systems.

While wildlife strikes represent a common aviation hazard, with more than 20,000 reported in the United States last year, rabbit strikes remain exceptionally rare.

Federal data shows only 4 rabbit strikes reported throughout the entire country in the previous year, including one at Denver International Airport (DEN). Bird strikes constitute the vast majority of wildlife encounters with aircraft, making this rabbit-related engine fire a highly unusual occurrence.

The incident highlights the unexpected challenges that can affect air travel and demonstrates the importance of pilot training and aircraft safety systems that enable successful responses to uncommon emergencies.

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