Delta Plane Crashes, Flips And Erupts In Flames At Toronto Airport

Delta Flight 4819 from Minneapolis to Toronto crashed and flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport Monday. The plane burst into flames, and all 80 passengers and crew onboard survived, with 21 individuals hospitalized. As of Tuesday, 19 of those hospitalized have been released.

The plane, a CRJ900 twin-jet operated by Endeavor Air, landed hard on the runway, with its rear landing gear buckling and the right wing shearing away in a fireball. The aircraft skidded on its belly before flipping over, leaving it upside down.

Fire engines quickly arrived and sprayed fire retardant over the aircraft. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely, with some suffering from back sprains, head injuries, and anxiety.

John Nelson, a passenger, described the plane hitting the ground hard, going sideways, and flipping over, resulting in "mass chaos." Pete Koukov, another passenger, said they were "hanging upside down like bats" after the crash and managed to escape by unbuckling and lowering himself to the floor. Pete Carlson, an executive, recounted the plane going sideways and then upside down, with him suffering only a minor head cut.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation, with assistance from the US Federal Aviation Administration and Delta Airlines. Weather conditions, including strong winds and recent snowfall, are being considered as potential factors.

From Thursday to Sunday, the airport experienced extreme weather conditions, with more than 20 inches of snow falling, more than the entire 2024 winter season. Monday was clear, but strong winds were reported, potentially contributing to the crash.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed gratitude to the first responders and medical teams and pledged support to the affected passengers and crew. Toronto Pearson Airport CEO Deborah Flint also praised the crew and first responders for their quick and effective response.

The runway where the crash occurred is expected to be closed for at least 48 hours, impacting airport traffic. As of Monday, 462 flights were canceled following the accident.

The last major aviation accident at Toronto Pearson Airport occurred nearly two decades ago, on August 2, 2005, when an Air France flight from Paris slid off the runway and burst into flames, with all 309 people on board surviving.