Delta Flight 2417 made headlines in April 2025 after a ceiling panel collapsed mid-flight, forcing passengers to physically hold it up until the plane could land. The incident added to growing concerns about aviation safety, with a string of serious incidents making headlines since the start of the year—including a fatal mid-air collision in January between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Washington, D.C., and the April helicopter crash into New York’s Hudson River that killed a Spanish tourist family and the pilot. As videos from the Delta flight circulated widely online, public scrutiny over aircraft maintenance and flight safety only intensified.
Find out more about what happened on board and how Delta responded below.
How Many Plane Crashes Have There Been in 2025?
As of the time of publication, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported 315 aviation incidents across the United States in 2025, including 59 that resulted in fatalities.
What Happened to Delta Flight 2417’s Ceiling?
On April 14, 2025, Delta Flight 2417, operating a Boeing 717 from Atlanta to Chicago, experienced a mid-flight incident when a ceiling panel collapsed shortly after takeoff.
Tom Witschy, a 35-year-old Chicago resident seated in 19B, told PEOPLE, “Shortly after takeoff there was a loud banging sound and the panel of the roof of the plane came off, crashing down, nearly hitting an older woman seated in the aisle seat in the row ahead of me in 18B.”
“I grabbed the corner closest to me to keep it from colliding with our row as we were still ascending, and the men across and diagonally from me did the same,” he added, noting that the flight crew was unable to assist because everyone was required to stay seated during the ascent.
Passengers were forced to hold up the ceiling panel for approximately 30 to 45 minutes until flight attendants secured it with duct tape. An engineer on board later attributed the collapse to a missing screw or bolt.
Passengers aboard a Chicago-bound Delta Airlines flight were forced to hold up a ceiling panel after it partially collapsed. pic.twitter.com/ds4mVXhTk9
— Storyful (@Storyful) April 24, 2025
Did Delta Flight 2417 Land Safely?
Yes, after the ceiling panel incident, Delta Flight 2417 safely returned to Atlanta with no injuries reported. Passengers were rebooked on another aircraft, resulting in about a two-hour delay. Delta issued an apology and offered affected passengers 10,000 frequent flyer miles (valued at approximately $100–$120) as compensation.
In a statement published by PEOPLE, a Delta spokesperson said, “Delta thanks our customers for their patience and cooperation. We apologize for the delay in their travels.” The airline added that the aircraft, a Boeing 717, returned to Atlanta “due to cabin maintenance” before the flight continued on a different plane.
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