At least 18 people were injured when a Delta Air Lines jet carrying 80 passengers and crew crash-landed at Toronto’s main airport on Monday, flipping upside down.
Fortunately, no fatalities were reported. Endeavor Air Flight 4819, which had 76 passengers and 4 crew members, was attempting to land after departing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, when the incident occurred in the afternoon.
The cause of the crash, including how the plane ended up inverted with its wings clipped, has not yet been determined. “It’s very early on, and it’s important that we do not speculate,” said Todd Aitken, the airport’s fire chief. “What we can confirm is that the runway was dry and there were no crosswind conditions.”
Aitken confirmed that 18 people had been injured, but none were reported to be in critical condition. Earlier reports from paramedic services indicated that a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s were critically injured. All of the injured, including those with minor injuries, were transported to local hospitals by ambulance or helicopter, according to Lawrence Saindon of paramedic services.
Dramatic images captured on social media and shown on local broadcasts showed passengers stumbling away from the overturned CRJ-900 plane, shielding themselves from strong winds and blowing snow. Firefighters could be seen spraying water on the plane as smoke poured from the fuselage while passengers continued to exit the aircraft.
Toronto airport authority CEO Deborah Flint confirmed that no other planes were involved in the incident. She praised the emergency crews for their “heroic” response, noting that they arrived within minutes and quickly evacuated the passengers. “Some have already been reunited with their families,” Flint added.
Following the crash, all flights at the airport were suspended, with operations resuming around 5:00 pm local time, more than two hours later. Passengers were advised to expect significant delays.
