Plane catches fire after rabbit sucked into engine
A plane from Colorado in the United States caught fire after a rabbit got sucked into its engine.
PEOPLE Magazine reported that a United Airlines flight from Denver International Airport was en route to Edmonton in Canada when the rabbit found itself on the runway on April 13.
The plane had 153 passengers and six crew members.
A spokesperson for United Airlines said the flight from Denver to Edmonton returned safely to Denver "to address a possible wildlife strike."
"The aircraft returned to the gate, and we lined up a new aircraft to get our customers on their way,” the spokesperson said.
A broadcast from ABC News' Good Morning America showed the airborne plane had sparks coming from the engine.
It also shared a Live Air Traffic Control audio recording where the pilot can be heard saying, "Rabbit through the number 2, that'll do it, alright."
According to other LiveATC audio recordings from the cockpit, pilots initially believed the engine fire had messed with their landing gear, causing the plane to remain airborne for about 75 minutes.
“The landing gear, we have indications, is now locked up,” a pilot said.
Scott Wolff, one of the passengers, told Good Morning America that he heard a "loud bang" and "a significant vibration on the plane."
“We proceeded to still climb,” Wolff said, referring to the plane still on the air as its engine burst into flames.
He also recalled a backfire coming from the engine "every few moments," as well as a “giant fireball behind it."
Wyatt McCurry, who witnessed the incident on the ground, told ABC News that her stomach "dropped" with what happened.
"I just thought, ‘I’m gonna see a plane go down,’" McCurry said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
