A Delta Air Lines flight and a high-flying firework reportedly made contact in the sky above Chicago as the city celebrated the Fourth of July holiday. The pilot of Delta flight 1076 notified air traffic controllers just before landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Saturday night that a firework had hit the commercial airliner during its descent.
Pilot Reports 'Big Bang'
In an audio recording published online by LiveATC.net, the pilot described feeling “a big bang” on the plane. According to the recording, the incident occurred when the plane was flying at an altitude of 200 to 250 feet. The pilot said the crew hoped the bang “was just a mortar that went off,” referencing the tube that helps launch aerial fireworks.
Safe Landing and Inspection
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and Delta confirmed that the plane, which had taken off from Atlanta carrying 52 passengers and six crew members, landed safely just after 8:30 p.m. local time. The incident did not result in any onboard injuries. Atlanta-based Delta said Sunday that mechanics who inspected the Airbus A319 did not find any damage.
Investigation and Reports
The FAA said it would investigate the incident. It is unclear if fireworks struck other airplanes on Saturday. In the LiveATC.net audio, an air traffic controller was heard saying there had been “multiple reports” of such encounters and that Chicago city officials were aware. The FAA did not immediately respond to questions about whether it was aware of additional firework-related incidents impacting Saturday flights. The Associated Press also reached out to the city government and the Chicago Police Department for further information.
