There were no fatalities in an accident involving a Delta Air Lines plane carrying 80 people crash-landed at Toronto Pearson Airport, which flipped upside down. Indeed, only 18 passengers were injured.
The Delta Air Lines plane, with 80 people, crash-landed at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday.
The aircraft flipped upside down, injuring at least 18 people, and recording no fatalities.
The flight, Endeavor Air Flight 4819, took off from Minneapolis, Minnesota, heading to Toronto.
Although no reason for the crash has been stated, as officials are yet to explain how the plane ended up on its back with damaged wings.
Airport fire chief Todd Aitken said, “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 cro sswind conditions.”
He confirmed that 18 people were injured, but no fatalities were reported.
Emergency responders earlier stated that three of the injured were in critical condition. They included a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s. All injured passengers were taken to hospitals by ambulance or helicopter, according to paramedic services official Lawrence Saindon.
Dramatic images shared on social media showed passengers stumbling away from the overturned aircraft. Strong winds and blowing snow added to the chaos. Firefighters were seen spraying water on the plane as smoke rose from its body.
Toronto airport authority chief executive Deborah Flint confirmed that no other planes were involved in the accident. She praised emergency teams for their “heroic” response, stating, “They reached the site within minutes and quickly evacuated the passengers.” She also mentioned that some travelers had already reunited with their families.
Following the crash, the airport suspended all flights. Operations resumed about two hours later, but long delays were expected for passengers.
One of the passengers, John Nelson, posted a video on Facebook showing the overturned plane. He said, “Our plane crashed. It’s upside down. Most people appear to be okay. We’re all getting off.”
Delta Airlines confirmed the accident and assured that there were no deaths. A spokesperson stated, “Initial reports were that there are no fatalities.” Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed his sympathy, saying, “The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport.”
The crash happened a day after a major snowstorm hit eastern Canada. While the snowfall had stopped, freezing temperatures and strong winds were still affecting Toronto. Airlines had added extra flights to manage the backlog of passengers due to previous cancellations caused by the storm.
Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand confirmed that 80 people were onboard the flight. She posted on social media, “I’m closely following the serious incident at the Pearson Airport involving Delta Airlines flight 4819 from Minneapolis.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also reacted, saying, “I’m relieved there are no casualties after the incident.”
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of investigators to examine the cause of the crash. The US Federal Aviation Administration is also assisting in the investigation, according to US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
The accident follows other recent air incidents in North America. One of them was a mid-air collision in Washington between a US Army helicopter and a passenger plane, which killed 67 people. Another involved a medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia that left seven dead.
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