The Delta Air Lines flight that crashed with 80 passengers onboard. Picture: X
A harrowing incident occurred at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon when a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis, United States, crash-landed.
Fortunately, all 80 passengers and crew members made it out with only minor injuries
As the aircraft approached the runway, winds howled and snow whipped through the air. It had been cleared for landing by air traffic controllers, but just moments before touching down, disaster struck.
The plane skidded across the tarmac, flipped upside down, and erupted in flames. Fire crews quickly rushed to the scene, battling to control the blaze that engulfed the aircraft.
Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, was quick to reassure the public, stating, “We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries.”
The plane, a 16-year-old aircraft, was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members when it lost control during the landing. Survivors described the harrowing experience of being suspended upside down in their seats as the aircraft flipped.
Passengers had to unbuckle their seatbelts and drop onto the ceiling of the plane before scrambling out onto the snowy runway.
John Nelson, a passenger on the flight, shared his experience in a Facebook video, showing the overturned plane.
“Our plane crashed. It’s upside down. Most people appear to be OK. We’re all getting off,” he wrote.
Nelson also later told CNN: “We hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down. I was able to just unbuckle and sort of fall and push myself to the ground.”
Although 18 people sustained injuries, only a small number are believed to be seriously hurt. Investigators are working to determine what caused the crash.
The incident has been hailed as a miracle given the extent of the damage and the fact that everyone onboard survived.
Clearist footage showing the crash moment of Delta - Endevoir Air CRJ-900 Flight DL4819 from Minneapolis (MSP) to Toronto (YYZ) with registration N932XJ.
— aircraftmaintenancengineer (@airmainengineer) February 18, 2025
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