By: Brain Akutei- Azu Mateko
A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crashed and overturned while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon. Despite the dramatic accident, all 80 people on board survived, though several were injured.
Toronto Pearson Airport’s chief executive, Deborah Flint, expressed relief that there were no fatalities. However, emergency services reported that three people—a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s—were critically injured. In total, 18 passengers were taken to the hospital for medical attention.
Ontario’s air ambulance service, Ornge, responded quickly, sending three air ambulances and two land ambulances to assist the injured. Video footage shared on social media showed the aircraft flipped over on the snow-covered tarmac, with emergency crews spraying it with foam. Some passengers were seen climbing out of the overturned plane with the help of airport staff.
The aircraft, identified as Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional subsidiary of Delta. It was a CRJ900 model and crashed at approximately 2:15 PM local time. The airport was temporarily closed but resumed operations by 5:00 PM. However, two runways remain closed for investigation, leading to continued flight delays.
Fire chief Todd Aitken stated that the runway was dry and there were no crosswinds at the time of the crash, contradicting earlier reports of strong wind gusts. The cause of the accident remains unclear, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has launched an investigation to determine what happened.
Many passengers faced additional travel disruptions after the crash. James and Andrea Turner, who were due to board a different flight, said they were suddenly evacuated from the customs area. Their flight was later canceled, adding to previous delays caused by bad weather.
The crash comes after days of heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures in Ontario, which had already caused significant travel disruptions. On Monday morning, airport officials had warned of worsening weather conditions, including frigid temperatures and high winds.
This incident marks the fourth major aviation accident in North America in the past month, including a deadly mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., which killed all 67 people on board.
Despite the frightening experience, many are grateful that there were no fatalities and that emergency responders acted swiftly to ensure passengers’ safety.
