A Delta Air Lines regional jet crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, flipping upside down amid high winds following a snowstorm. The incident left 18 of the 80 people on board injured, including a child who was transported to a children’s hospital.
The flight, a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Delta’s Endeavor Air subsidiary, departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and touched down in Toronto at 2:13 p.m. local time. Shortly after landing, the aircraft lost stability, overturning on the snow-covered tarmac near the intersection of runways 23 and 15.
Emergency crews quickly responded, with firefighters extinguishing a fire and assisting passengers. No fatalities were reported.
Passenger John Nelson, who was on board, described the crash as sudden and unexpected. “We hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down,” Nelson told CNN. He and others helped fellow passengers unbuckle and exit the overturned aircraft.
Toronto Pearson International Airport was shut down for over two hours following the crash, leading to flight delays and diversions to other airports, including Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. Airport officials have warned of continued operational disruptions as two runways remain closed for investigation.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which acquired Bombardier’s CRJ aircraft program in 2020, has pledged full cooperation with the investigation.This crash follows a series of recent aviation incidents in North America. A CRJ-700 passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter in Washington, killing 67 people. In separate incidents, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, and a commuter plane accident in Alaska resulted in multiple fatalities.
Despite the severity of Monday’s crash, experts credit modern aircraft engineering and safety regulations for preventing loss of life. “The fact that 80 people survived an event like this is a testament to the technology and safety systems in place,” said Michael J. McCormick, an aviation expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Authorities are expected to release further updates as the investigation progresses.