A Delta Air Lines flight arriving at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on the Fourth of July was struck by a firework, according to air traffic control audio.
The pilot of Delta Flight 1076 notified air traffic controllers just before landing on Saturday night that a firework hit the commercial airliner during its descent.
In an audio recording, the pilot said, “We just had a firework hit our plane.”
“We’re just hoping it was just a mortar that went off underneath, but definitely felt a big bang,” the pilot added.
“There’ve been multiple reports, as you can imagine. The city’s aware. They said they would notify the Chicago police, but, you know, I don’t know what they’ll do,” air traffic control responded.
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The incident occurred when the plane was flying at an altitude of 200 to 250 feet.
“Delta flight 1076 from Atlanta (ATL) to Chicago (MDW) reportedly made contact with a firework while on descent. The flight safely landed and taxied to the gate,” Delta Air Lines said in a statement to Global News.
The airline said the plane, returning from Atlanta, was carrying 52 passengers and six crew members.
The incident didn’t result in any onboard injuries and mechanics who inspected the Airbus did not find any damage, the airline added.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Delta Air Lines Flight 1076 landed safely at the airport around 8:30 p.m. local time after the pilot reported that a fireworks mortar struck the aircraft just before landing.
“The flight departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The FAA will investigate,” the FAA added.
In a statement to Global News, the Chicago Police Department said the airplane incident caused “minor paint damage.”
“The plane safely landed, and no injuries were reported,” police added.
— with files from The Associated Press
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