Delta Air Lines Flight Crash-Lands at Toronto Pearson Airport
On Monday, February 17th, a Delta Airlines flight carrying 80 passengers and crew members skidded off the runway and flipped over at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The incident, which occurred shortly after noon, left 18 people injured, including three with severe injuries.
Flight Details
The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Endeavor Air, was flying from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Toronto, Canada’s most populous city. The flight was carrying a total of 80 people, including 76 passengers and four crew members.
Crash Sequence
According to eyewitnesses and surveillance footage, the plane touched down hard on the runway, causing it to spin out of control. The impact of the landing caused the aircraft to flip over and slide upside down, coming to rest on its roof. Smoke was seen billowing from the tail of the aircraft, which was partially destroyed, as well as from at least one wing. Emergency responders quickly deployed water cannons to douse the flames.
Injuries and Response
Of the 18 injured individuals, three were reported to have serious injuries. "One pediatric patient was transported to a receiving hospital with critical injuries. A male patient in his 60s and a female patient in her 40s were also transported with serious but non-life-threatening injuries," said a spokesperson for Ornge, an air ambulance service that responded to the scene. Three helicopters and two critical care ambulances from the organization were deployed.
The remaining 15 individuals sustained minor or moderate injuries and were transported to area hospitals, according to Lawrence Saindon of Peel Region Paramedic Services, which oversaw the rescue operations.
Cause of Crash
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). Initial reports indicate that the runway was dry and there were no crosswinds at the time of landing. "This is an active investigation. It’s very important that we do not speculate. What we can say is that the runway was dry, and there was no tailwind," said Todd Aitken, Chief of Airport Fire Services, during a press conference.
Airport Operations
Pearson Airport, which is Canada’s busiest, temporarily suspended operations for several hours following the crash. Two runways remained closed in the days after the incident to allow for the TSB’s investigation. However, other runways were reopened to accommodate arriving and departing flights.
Passenger Accounts
Passengers onboard the flight described a harrowing experience. "It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever been through," said one passenger. "We were coming in for a landing, and then suddenly the plane started to shake violently. I looked out the window and saw the ground rushing up at us. I thought we were going to die."
Recovery Efforts
Emergency responders worked diligently to stabilize the aircraft, remove passengers and crew, and extinguish the fire. The aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered and will be analyzed by the TSB as part of their investigation.
Ongoing Investigation
The TSB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash to determine its cause and make recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. The investigation is expected to take several months to complete.
