A Delta Air Lines jet was struck by a firework while landing at Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW) on July 4. The incident occurred at around 8:40 PM as the Airbus A319 was at roughly 200 feet, with pilots telling air traffic control (ATC) they “felt a big bang.”

Fortunately, the aircraft — operating Flight DL1076 from Delta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) megahub — landed safely at Chicago Midway just moments later without declaring an emergency, with no reported injuries among the passengers or crew.

Delta A319 July 4 Firework Incident At Chicago Midway

Credit: Shutterstock

The firework struck the Delta A319 just moments before it was due to land at Chicago Midway, hitting the jet at an altitude of around 200 feet. The flight crew told an air traffic controller that “we just had a firework hit our plane,” before declaring their intent to continue with the landing. Given that it was the Fourth of July — and a particularly special one as the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States — the tower told the Delta flight crew that there had been “multiple” reports of fireworks in the area that evening.

While no one was hurt, Delta pulled the aircraft from service to conduct the necessary inspections. It is not clear if the plane was damaged or will spend an extended period of time on the ground. Simple Flying reached out to Delta for comment on this incident — a spokesperson said that the aircraft “reportedly made contact with a firework while on descent,” adding that the plane is “under evaluation.” As per recordings from Live ATC, the Delta pilot told the tower,

“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.”

How Dangerous Are Fireworks To Commercial Flights?

Direct firework strikes on commercial airliners are relatively rare, with most incidents involving a firework going off in the vicinity of a plane, rather than hitting it directly. However, although the risk of damage to the plane is low, any firework incident is still treated seriously for various reasons.

They typically occur during takeoff or landing — which are the most critical phases of flight — and have the potential to distract or momentarily blind a flight crew during these critical moments. Pilots need to be fully attentive during takeoff and landing, so being startled, distracted or visually impeded represents a significant safety concern.

There is also the danger of foreign object debris (FOD) landing on runways and taxiways, which poses a threat to other aircraft operating at an airport. Authorities will often conduct sweeps of the airfield after reported firework strikes to locate and remove such debris. In a worst-case scenario, a direct strike on a jet aircraft could lead to structural damage, or an engine ingestion or failure.

There have been a few recent close calls with fireworks in the US, including a JetBlue Airbus A320 on final approach to New York JFK in November 2025, which reported a firework passing 100 feet below it. In April, an easyJet flight on final approach to Paris Orly Airport was forced to abort its landing after a wedding procession set off fireworks directly in its path.

Busy Fourth Of July Travel

Credit: Chicago Midway Airport

Saturday’s incident came in the midst of a record-breaking Fourth of July travel period for US aviation. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has said it expects to screen almost 18.7 million travelers at airports nationwide between Tuesday, June 30, and Monday, July 6, while the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) forecast nearly 1.95 million passengers across the city’s two airports during the holiday travel rush.

Chicago Midway is projected to handle around 325,000 passengers within this period – a year-on-year increase of 1.5% – with its peak day forecast for Monday, July 6, at nearly 60,000 travelers. The July 4 day itself is typically quieter than the surrounding days, although Midway still handled almost 40,000 passengers on Saturday.