Toronto (Rajeev Sharma): A Delta Air Lines aircraft carrying 80 people flipped upside down while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, leaving at least 18 passengers injured but resulting in no fatalities. Officials confirmed that the incident involved Endeavor Air Flight 4819, which had departed from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was attempting to land in Canada’s largest city.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the accident or how the CRJ-900 aircraft ended up overturned with its wings clipped. However, Todd Aitken, the airport’s fire chief, ruled out adverse weather conditions as a contributing factor, stating, “It’s very early on. It’s really important that we do not speculate. What we can say is the runway was dry and there was no crosswind conditions.”
Among the 18 injured, three were reported to be in critical condition, including a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s. Paramedic services transported all injured individuals to hospitals via ambulance or helicopter, according to Lawrence Saindon from the emergency response team.
Dramatic visuals from the scene, widely shared on social media, showed passengers escaping the overturned aircraft, braving strong winds and freezing temperatures. Fire crews worked swiftly, dousing the fuselage with water as smoke billowed from the wreckage.
Toronto airport authority CEO Deborah Flint praised emergency responders for their rapid response, stating they were “heroic” in ensuring passengers were evacuated within minutes. She also confirmed that no other aircraft were involved in the incident.
Following the crash, all flights at the airport were temporarily suspended, resuming operations more than two hours later. However, authorities warned travelers to expect significant delays.
One of the passengers, John Nelson, shared a video from the tarmac, narrating the chaotic scene: “Our plane crashed. It’s upside down. Most people appear to be okay. We’re all getting off.”
Delta Airlines acknowledged the incident in a statement, affirming that there were no fatalities. Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed support for those affected, stating, “The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those impacted by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport.”
The crash occurred just a day after a massive snowstorm swept across eastern Canada, causing widespread flight disruptions. While snowfall had ceased by Monday, Toronto continued to experience extreme cold and high winds. The airport had anticipated a busy day, handling over 1,000 flights and 130,000 passengers.
Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand confirmed the passenger count and assured that she was closely monitoring the situation. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also expressed relief that there were no fatalities in the incident.
