A Delta Air Lines flight was struck by a firework while descending into Chicago Midway International Airport on July 4. The incident happened during a busy holiday evening, creating a tense moment for the flight crew and air traffic controllers working the airspace around the airport.
The pilot of Delta Flight 1076 alerted controllers as the aircraft neared the runway. According to the audio, the pilot said, “We just had a firework hit our plane.” The pilot added, “We’re just hoping it was just a mortar that went off underneath, but definitely felt a big bang.”
According to CNN, the plane was flying at an altitude of 200 feet during its final descent when the strike happened. Despite the impact, the aircraft continued its approach and landed safely at around 8:30 PM.
A second flight received a similar warning from controllers minutes later
The situation did not end with the Delta flight. As a Southwest Airlines flight prepared to land shortly after, an air traffic controller warned the crew, saying, “Welcome to the war zone.” The pilot of Southwest 223 responded, “That’s reassuring.” A similar United Airlines flight had a routine journey disrupted by mysterious beeping.
Controllers said they had received multiple reports of similar incidents throughout the evening, suggesting fireworks were reaching flight paths at various points during the night. They also discussed the need to involve local police, with one controller saying, “They said they would notify the Chicago police, but you know, I don’t know what they’ll do, right?”
Delta Air Lines confirmed that the flight landed without any injuries reported among passengers or crew. The airline has not released further details about the extent of any damage to the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened and how the firework entered the flight path.
Consumer fireworks typically reach heights between 50 and 200 feet, while professional displays can climb as high as 1,200 feet. A firework reaching a commercial airliner during its final descent, when the plane is at its lowest and slowest, points to how close the flight path came to ground-level firework activity that evening. In another case, a Frontier flight struck a man on the runway during takeoff.
City officials were reportedly informed about the danger these fireworks posed to flights arriving at and departing from the airport. It is not yet clear what action, if any, was taken in response to those warnings before the Delta flight was struck.
The FAA said anyone looking for more information should contact local authorities or the airline directly. Both Delta and Southwest have not issued additional public statements beyond confirming the incident and the safe landing of their aircraft. The investigation into the exact circumstances of the firework strike is ongoing, and no timeline has been given for when findings will be released.
Published: Jul 6, 2026 02:00 pm