A Delta Airlines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, leaving 18 passengers injured, including a child in critical condition.
Aviation experts are calling it a highly unusual crash.
The Delta flight DL4819, operated by Endeavor Air, was arriving from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport when the aircraft lost control on the runway and flipped onto its roof. The CRJ900 jet, built by Bombardier, came to rest on a snow-covered tarmac, its right wing detached and fuselage severely damaged.
Passenger John Nelson, who filmed the aftermath, described the terrifying moment to Reuters: “We hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down. I unbuckled and sort of fell to the ground. Some people were hanging and needed help getting down.”
Emergency crews responded swiftly, evacuating all 80 people on board, including 76 passengers and four crew members. Among the injured, three — including a child — are in critical condition, according to Canadian air ambulance officials.
Authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the plane to overturn, with aviation experts pointing to gusty crosswinds and icy conditions as possible factors.
Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken initially claimed that weather was not a factor, but pilots reviewing the incident disagreed, noting strong crosswinds of up to 22 mph during landing.
A Rare and Alarming Incident
Aviation experts say plane flips during landing are extremely rare, particularly for commercial flights. Previous cases include three MD-11 crashes in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Newark, which resulted in fatalities.
Michael J. McCormick, an air safety expert, noted: “The fact that 80 people survived an event like this is a testament to modern engineering and safety regulations. Decades ago, this could have been fatal.”
Flights at Toronto Pearson have since resumed, but two runways remain closed, causing delays and operational disruptions. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are launching a joint investigation, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which acquired Bombardier’s CRJ aircraft program, has pledged full cooperation in the investigation.
The crash is the latest in a series of aviation disasters in North America, following:
A military helicopter collision with a CRJ-700 jet in Washington, D.C., killing 67 people
A medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia, killing seven
A passenger plane crash in Alaska, killing 10
Delta Airlines expressed relief that there were no fatalities and has begun working with investigators. Toronto Pearson Airport President Deborah Flint credited first responders for the rapid rescue efforts.
“We are very grateful that there is no loss of life and relatively minor injuries,” Flint said.
