A Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 was struck by a firework while landing at Chicago Midway on July 4, 2026, but the aircraft landed safely and no injuries were reported.

Incident overview

Delta confirmed that Flight DL1076, an Airbus A319 operating from Atlanta (ATL) to Chicago Midway (MDW), made contact with a firework during its descent on the evening of July 4, 2026. The strike occurred at roughly 200 feet above the ground as the aircraft approached the runway.

What happened during landing

Around 8:40 p.m., pilots of the A319, registered N316NB, reported feeling a strong impact at about 200 feet on final approach into Midway. The crew informed air traffic control that a firework had hit the aircraft but chose to continue the landing without declaring an emergency.

After touchdown and inspection

After landing, the flight crew told the tower they had heard a bang and would inspect the aircraft at the gate, saying they hoped a mortar had gone off beneath the plane rather than causing direct damage. Delta removed the jet from service for inspection and described it as “under evaluation,” with the extent of any damage and the duration of its downtime still unclear

Fireworks as an aviation hazard

Firework strikes on commercial aircraft are rare, and most reported incidents involve fireworks exploding nearby rather than directly hitting an airliner. Authorities treat such events seriously because they usually occur during takeoff or landing, when sudden flashes or bangs can distract or momentarily blind pilots and debris can create hazards on runways.

Recent similar close calls

In November 2025, a JetBlue Airbus A320 on final approach to New York JFK reported a firework passing about 100 feet below the aircraft. Earlier this year, an easyJet flight approaching Paris Orly had to abort its landing after fireworks from a wedding procession were set off directly in its flight path.

Holiday traffic context

The Midway incident happened amid a record Fourth of July travel period, with TSA projecting about 18.7 million air travelers nationwide between June 30 and July 6. Chicago’s two airports were expected to handle around 1.95 million passengers in that window, including roughly 325,000 at Midway alone, with July 6 set as the peak day.