Delta jet descends into Chicago on the Fourth of July. Then a fireworks mortar strikes the plane before it lands

A Delta Air Lines plane was reportedly hit by a fireworks mortar while coming in for a landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on the Fourth of July, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said the crew of Delta Flight 1076 reported that a fireworks mortar struck the aircraft shortly before it landed at Midway on Saturday. According to the agency, the plane landed safely at around 8:30 p.m. local time.

A Delta spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the flight left Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 7:51 p.m. ET and landed at Midway at 8:33 p.m. CT. The aircraft involved was an Airbus A319, according to the spokesperson.

No injuries reported after aircraft lands safely at gate

The Airbus A319 was carrying 52 passengers and six crew members, the spokesperson said. According to the airline, no injuries were reported among those on board. “The flight safely landed and taxied to the gate,” the Delta spokesperson said. 

The crew did not declare an emergency during the incident, the airline said, and the aircraft continued its approach without any further disruption once it had been struck. In another incident, a flight’s wing clipped a structure during landing, tearing a hole in the plane. 

Delta said the aircraft landed without incident and that mechanics inspected the plane once it reached the gate. According to the airline, those mechanics found no damage to the aircraft after examining it following the flight. However, Chicago police gave a different account to CBS Chicago, saying that the firework caused minor paint damage to the aircraft.

Police also said that the plane was undergoing additional inspections to determine whether it had sustained further damage beyond what was initially observed. Delta, for its part, maintained to Fox News Digital that its mechanics did not find any damage during the post-flight inspection, creating what appears to be a discrepancy between the two accounts. A similar scare involved a new mom who heard loud booms on a Frontier flight that hadn’t left the ground. 

The FAA said it plans to investigate the incident, though the agency has not indicated how long that review might take. As of this report, it remains unclear where the fireworks were launched from, and it has not been confirmed whether authorities have identified anyone responsible for launching them.