As Americans across the country celebrated the Fourth of July with great fervour, a Delta Air Lines was struck by fireworks while descending into Chicago, the airline said on Sunday (local time).
Here’s what we know
On Saturday night, shortly before landing at Midway International Airport, the pilot of Delta Flight 1076 informed air traffic controllers that a firework had hit the plane during its descent. Citing an audio recording published online by LiveATC.net, AP reported that the pilot described feeling “a big bang” on the commercial airliner.
According to the recording, the incident occurred while the aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 200 to 250 feet. The pilot said the crew initially believed the loud bang “was just a mortar that went off,” referring to the launch tube used to fire aerial fireworks.
Despite the incident, the flight, which departed from Atlanta with 52 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely shortly after 8:30 pm local time, according to both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the .
The incident did not result in any onboard , and there were no signs of damage to the Airbus A319, the company said after mechanics inspected the commercial airliner.
The FAA said it would probe the incident. Further, it remains unclear whether fireworks hit any other airplanes on the Fourth of July. According to the recording from LiveATC.net, an air traffic controller said there had been several reports of such encounters and added that Chicago city officials were awake.
However, this was not the only incident that marred the Fourth of July celebrations.
Several cities reported shootings on Fourth of July
Multiple cities reported shooting incidents as Americans came forward to celebrate the 250th anniversary, NBC News reported. At least six people were reported dead, and scores were injured. In Brooklyn, , a masked man opened fire at a family barbecue, leaving at least eight people injured, including four children. New York City police said that while seven victims are expected to survive, a 21-year-old woman continues to be in critical condition after she was shot in the chest. The gunman is on the run, and the authorities are working to apprehend him.
In Florida, gunfire in downtown Pensacola was reported after 1 am on Sunday, leaving a 19-year-old dead and at least six others wounded. Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom noted that the shooting appeared targeted and that many young people, some as young as middle-school age, were out that evening unaccompanied. He added, “The youngest victim in this case was 16. The age range was 16 to 26 of the seven victims — very young, innocent kids out there.”
Another incident occurred in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at around 3 am on Sunday, leaving a woman dead, while eight others were treated for non-life-threatening wounds.
Several other incidents were reported in Chino and Compton, California; Gary, Indiana; and Dayton and Canton, Ohio. Investigators across the country are working to apprehend those behind these attacks.
