A plane from the airline Delta Airlines suffered a forced landing at the Pearson International Airport in Toronto, overturning and generating a large fireball, though miraculously, all 80 occupants on board survived. The aircraft, which was flying from Minneapolis, crashed on a runway covered in ice and snow, leading to a series of chaotic scenes on board as passengers attempted to evacuate.
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Details of the Accident
Delta Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, was on its approach to the airport when the incident occurred around 2:45 PM local time. There were 76 passengers and four crew members on board. Dramatic images from inside the plane showed passengers trying to exit while a crew member shouted: “Everything, leave it. Come on!”. Another passenger, visibly frightened, expressed: “My plane crashed, I’m upside down.”
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Despite the severity of the accident, there were no fatalities. The authorities reported that 19 people received medical attention, and two of them were airlifted to trauma centers. A child was also taken to a pediatric hospital, but most of the passengers managed to exit on their own. Images of the plane, a Bombardier CRJ900, showed a thick column of black smoke as the aircraft skidded down the runway and overturned.
The winds of up to 40 mph and the winter conditions complicated the landing. According to reports, the communication between the control tower and the pilot was normal during the approach, and it is unknown what went wrong at the moment of landing. Horrifying videos shared on social media showed the plane completely inverted on the snowy runway, surrounded by smoke.
Reactions and Safety Measures
The founder of the travel app Going, Scott Keyes, commented on the incident, noting that “es demasiado pronto para especular sobre lo que ocurrió exactamente”. He stated that “It’s safe to call it a ‘freak accident’”, and emphasized the rarity of seeing an inverted passenger plane. Keyes also highlighted that the probability of being involved in an air accident is significantly lower than in a car journey.
Delta Airlines confirmed the number of occupants and expressed its concern for those affected: “Several customers with injuries were transported to local hospitals. Our main focus is caring for those who were impacted.” After the incident, the airport was temporarily closed, resulting in the cancellation of 237 flights and diversions to other airports, such as Montreal.
The accident occurred in the context of severe winter weather in Toronto, where storms have caused complications in air operations. The airport authorities shared that the cleaning crews had worked hard to clear the runways before the accident, highlighting the challenging weather conditions faced by the pilots. The incident adds to a series of recent air accidents in North America, although fortunately, it was not as tragic as other events in recent weeks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an investigation along with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to determine the causes of the accident. The airport authorities in Toronto confirmed that “all passengers and crew are accounted for.” Following the accident, Delta urged passengers to monitor the status of their flights using the “Fly Delta” app.