A Delta Air Lines plane carrying 52 passengers and six crew members was struck by fireworks as it was preparing to land at a Chicago airport Saturday night.
The flight from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to Midway International Airport “reportedly came into contact with fireworks during its descent,” an airline spokesperson told the BBC.
He added, “The plane landed safely and went to the gate.” There were no injuries and the incident was reported to aviation authorities.
The plane was hit as millions across the U.S. marked the nation’s 250th anniversary with fireworks, part of an annual tradition commemorating independence.
Delta Flight 1076 took off from Atlanta at 19:51 EDT (00:51 BST) and landed in Chicago at 20:33 CDT (02:33 BST).
“Fireworks just hit our airplane,” the pilot told air traffic control, according to the incident log. The pilot said it happened at an altitude of about 200 feet (61 meters).
“We hoped it was just a mortar falling from below, but we definitely felt a big explosion.”
Before an accident occurs, air traffic controllers may hear a warning sound warning them of the presence of fireworks.
An air traffic control officer said, “Delta 1076… there are several houses near the end of the approach with fireworks, be careful.”
“As you can imagine, there have been multiple reports,” the controller added on the radio. “The city knows. They said they would call the Chicago police, but I don’t know what they will do.”
The BBC contacted city officials about reports of fireworks being set off at a house near the airport. The Chicago Police Department told the BBC that the plane “was struck by an unknown object” and suffered “minor paint damage.”
According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, the Federal Aviation Administration said the incident occurred around 20:30 CDT.
According to the airline, the Airbus A319 was inspected after landing and found no damage.
The largest fireworks displays are often organized by state and local governments, but private and unsupervised fireworks displays are also common.
In Washington, D.C., the National Park Service celebrated the milestone anniversary with a massive 40-minute fireworks display at the National Mall.
Flights at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were suspended starting at noon Saturday for a military flyover and fireworks show that began at midnight local time.
