A Delta Air Lines jet flipped upside down while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, with all 80 passengers and crew members surviving. The incident left several with minor injuries, according to Deborah Flint, CEO of Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
The crash occurred at around 2:15 p.m. amid gusty winds of up to 40 mph (65 kph) and blowing snow. The flight from Minneapolis, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, attempted to land on a dry runway before overturning. Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash’s cause.
Footage shared on social media captured the aftermath, showing the overturned Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR with its fuselage intact. Firefighters extinguished flames as passengers exited the aircraft and walked across the tarmac.
Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken reported that 18 passengers were taken to hospitals, including a pediatric patient transported to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital. Meanwhile, a medical helicopter returning to assist confirmed the aircraft was “upside down and burning.”
The crash occurred near the intersection of Runways 23 and 15L. Meteorological reports cited winds of 32 mph (51 kph), with gusts of 40 mph (65 kph), and temperatures at 16.5°F (-8.6°C). Aviation safety consultant John Cox noted that while the weather posed challenges, the CRJ-900 is designed to handle such conditions.
Investigators are examining factors including a missing wing, with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada leading the inquiry. The last major crash at Pearson Airport occurred in 2005 when an Air France flight skidded off the runway; all aboard survived.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed the company’s support for those impacted, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford shared relief over the absence of fatalities, offering provincial assistance for recovery efforts.
Source: Swifteradio.com
