Delta aircraft reports mid-air ‘bang’ during landing in Chicago amid Fourth of July fireworks | World News
A Delta Air Lines flight travelling from Atlanta “made contact with a firework” while landing at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on the Fourth of July, according to the airline’s statement and air traffic control audio.
Flight timeline and arrival at Midway Airport
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, Delta Air Lines flight 1076 departed Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport around 7:36 pm (local time) and landed at Chicago’s Midway Airport around 8:38 pm (local time).
Flight crew reports loud blast upon descent
The crew of Delta Flight 1076 informed the air traffic control of what they described as a “loud bang” as the aircraft approached the runway for landing, around 250 feet above the ground.
Radio transmissions detail the pilot’s assessment
As per the audio from ATC.com, the pilot is heard informing an air traffic controller, “Tower, we just had a firework hit our plane, Delta 1076, we’re continuing.”
“We just heard a bang on the plane, so we’ll have to look at it when we get to the gate. We’re just hoping it was just a mortar that went off underneath, but definitely felt a big bang,” the audio revealed, NBC News reported.
Post-landing inspection and aircraft evaluation
Airline officials later stated the plane landed safely at Chicago’s Midway Airport, and the situation didn’t result in an emergency landing. The plane was undergoing an evaluation authorities, reports added.
Air Traffic control issues warnings for near neighborhoods
The air traffic controller said there had been “multiple” similar reports, and officials in the city have been informed of it. However, the controller had advised the plane’s crew to be cautious as there were “multiple homes near the approach shooting off fireworks,” ABC News reported.Story continues below this ad
Delta Air Lines, in a statement, said “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.”
