A Delta Air Lines flight made an unexpected—and alarming—encounter on the Fourth of July after the aircraft was struck by a firework while approaching Chicago Midway International Airport. The incident has prompted a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, though airline officials say the plane landed safely and passengers were never in immediate danger.
According to NBC Chicago, Flight 1076 departed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Saturday evening before arriving in Chicago, where the crew reported hearing a loud impact during the aircraft's final approach. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot informing the tower, "Tower, we just had a firework hit our plane, Delta 1076, we're continuing." The crew added, "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 aircraft completed its landing without declaring an emergency, and Delta later said a post-flight inspection found no damage. Federal regulators are now reviewing the incident.
The unusual encounter comes as Delta has also found itself in the spotlight for an unrelated legal battle involving passenger safety procedures. An Arkansas woman, Madison Cupp, is pursuing a $2.35 million lawsuit against Delta and regional carrier Endeavor Air over a 2019 flight in which she alleges a flight attendant wrongly accused her father of trafficking and sexually abusing her after he comforted her during turbulence.
According to the complaint, the allegations resulted in armed law enforcement boarding the aircraft after landing, separating the then-13-year-old from her family, and questioning her father before ultimately determining there was no basis for an arrest.
Cupp's lawsuit argues the incident caused lasting emotional distress and accuses the airlines of negligence, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
If you suspect human trafficking, help is available. Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, text 233733 (BEFREE), or visit National Human Trafficking Hotline. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
