All passengers and crew members survived the plane crash at Toronto airport
All passengers and crew aboard a flight that crashed and overturned while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada have survived, according to the airport’s chief executive. Deborah Flint, from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, expressed relief that there were no fatalities and only relatively minor injuries.
Emergency services reported that one child and two adults sustained critical injuries in the crash. Social media images showed the plane flipped over on its roof on the snow-covered tarmac, with at least one wing missing. Toronto Pearson Airport confirmed that the crash involved a Delta Air Lines flight arriving from Minneapolis. Of the 80 people on board, 76 were passengers, and four were crew members.
In total, 18 passengers were transported to the hospital. Ontario’s air ambulance service, Ornge, dispatched three air ambulances and two land ambulances to the scene. The critical patients included a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s.
Ms. Flint praised the emergency responders, calling their actions “textbook” and crucial in preventing any loss of life. The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority confirmed the flight as Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, a Delta subsidiary. The incident occurred at approximately 14:15 ET (19:15 GMT) on Monday afternoon.
Twenty-two passengers were Canadian, with the rest being from various countries. Following the incident, Toronto Pearson Airport temporarily closed but resumed flights by 17:00 local time. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada dispatched a team to investigate the incident. Two runways will remain closed for several days, and passengers should expect delays.
Toronto Pearson’s fire chief, Todd Aitken, confirmed the runway was dry and there were no cross-wind conditions, which contradicted earlier reports of gusty winds. Social media footage showed passengers emerging from the overturned plane, while fire crews sprayed foam to prevent further hazards. One passenger filmed the scene, saying, “Most people appear to be OK. We’re all getting off, there’s some smoke going on.”
Both the Ontario Premier and Minnesota Governor expressed gratitude for the quick response from first responders. Following the crash, many flights faced delays and cancellations, leaving some passengers stranded for days. James and Andrea Turner, who were waiting in customs, had their flight cancelled and were among many facing additional disruptions.
The airport had been dealing with weather-related delays in recent days, including heavy snow and freezing temperatures. Two recent storms dumped up to 50 cm (19.6 inches) of snow, complicating the situation. Snow was still falling at the time of the crash, and officials had warned about frigid temperatures and high winds.
This incident marks the fourth major aviation event in North America in the past month, following a fatal in-air collision near Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan airport that killed 67 people.
About The Author
