United Airlines Flight Returns to Denver After Possible Wildlife Strike

A United Airlines flight en route from Denver, Colorado, to Edmonton, Canada, was forced to return to Denver International Airport on Sunday after a suspected collision with wildlife, Fox News reports.

The Boeing 737-800 landed safely, and United Airlines confirmed the return was to “address a possible wildlife strike.” Video footage captured from the ground shows bright flashes emanating from the engine while the plane was in flight.

After returning to the gate, United Airlines provided a new aircraft for the 153 passengers and six crew members to complete their journey to Edmonton. No injuries were reported.

While the exact type of wildlife involved has not been confirmed by United Airlines, some reports, including one from the New York Post, suggest the aircraft may have struck a rabbit.

This incident follows another aviation event on Friday, when the crew of a Hawaiian Airlines flight aborted takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport due to a reported “vibration” in the nose wheel. The Airbus A330, scheduled to fly to Kahului Airport in Hawaii, returned to the gate without incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the Hawaiian Airlines incident.