On Saturday evening, Delta Air Lines Flight 1076, an Airbus A319 carrying 52 passengers and six crew, was struck by a fireworks device while it was descending to Chicago’s Midway International Airport. The impact occurred at an altitude of roughly 200 feet (61 meters) just before the aircraft touched down.
“We just had a firework hit our plane,” the pilot told air‑traffic control, a transmission that can be heard in the official recording. The crew added that they “definitely felt a big bang” and that the device was most likely a mortar fired from a nearby home.
The aircraft landed safely and, after a brief inspection, taxied to its gate. Delta reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration and to Chicago police, who noted only “minor paint damage” was evident on the exterior of the plane.
The incident occurred during a nationwide fireworks celebration marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. While state and local governments organised large displays, many private fireworks are set off from homes in the vicinity of airports. Chicago air‑traffic controllers had warned pilots of multiple fireworks fired from the approach end, and they requested that the city’s police department be notified.
The FAA confirmed the event happened around 20:30 CDT and released a statement that the aircraft was “free of structural damage.” No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
Figure 1: Delta Aircraft Preparing to Land at Midway during the 250th anniversary celebration
The event underscores the challenges of maintaining aviation safety during large public celebrations and highlights the importance of coordinated responses from airlines, regulators and local authorities. No further incidents have been reported following the incident, and search‑and‑rescue teams remain on standby in case of an eventual firework‑related foreign object encounter.
