Stiff winds swept over Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon as a Delta flight from Minneapolis, carrying 80 passengers and crew, approached for landing in snowy conditions. Moments later, the aircraft crashed onto the runway, flipping over and erupting in flames, prompting an urgent response from emergency crews.
Despite the severity of the accident, all on board survived. However, 18 people sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals, including a child who remains in good condition, according to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
“We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries,” said Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority.
The overturned CRJ900 regional jet, operated by Endeavor Air for Delta, came to rest belly-up on the tarmac, streaked with blackened residue and missing a wingtip. Passengers, still strapped into their seats, found themselves suspended from the cabin ceiling before evacuating. First responders quickly doused the fuselage with fire retardant as evacuees leaped from exit doors onto the icy ground, clutching jackets and carry-on bags.
The crash temporarily halted operations at Canada’s busiest airport and adds to growing concerns over aviation safety in North America. It marks the fourth major aviation accident in the past month, following a midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., which claimed 67 lives.
Investigators from Canada and the United States are now working to determine the cause of the crash. Initial reports suggest extreme weather conditions played a role. Airport personnel had spent the night clearing remnants of an eight-inch snowfall, and strong winds had battered the region throughout the day. Air traffic controllers had warned the flight crew of 38 mph gusts as the plane neared the runway.
“Might be a slight bump in the glide path,” a controller advised, noting another aircraft was landing just ahead of them.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, and authorities will now analyze flight data, weather reports, and witness accounts to piece together the moments leading up to the dramatic accident.
