Toronto Pearson International Airport was the scene of a dramatic incident Monday afternoon when a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crashed upon landing, coming to rest upside down and engulfed in flames. Despite the severity of the crash, all 80 passengers and crew members survived.
The Endeavor Air-operated CRJ900 aircraft, Delta Flight 4819, encountered strong winds and snowy conditions as it approached the runway around 2 p.m. local time. Air traffic controllers had cleared the plane to land, but moments later, the aircraft veered off course, flipped over, and burst into flames.
Passengers inside the plane were left suspended by their seatbelts, trapped in the inverted wreckage. John Nelson and Peter Koukov, passengers on the flight, described the disorienting experience. Koukov recalled the plane suddenly hitting the ground and turning sideways, while Nelson said he was unaware of any issue until the impact. He described the scene as chaotic, with passengers trying to escape the burning aircraft.
Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene, dousing the plane with fire retardant. The aircraft’s fuselage was heavily damaged, with melted fiberglass and black streaks marking the point of the fire. Video footage captured by Koukov showed passengers evacuating the plane, some with carry-on bags, as they jumped from the emergency exits onto the snow-covered tarmac.
While initial reports indicated no fatalities, Delta confirmed that 18 people were injured and transported to local hospitals. A child was among the injured but is reported to be in good condition. Peel Regional Paramedic Services provided a slightly lower figure of 15 injured passengers. Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, expressed relief that there was no loss of life and that injuries were relatively minor.
The crash caused significant disruption at Toronto Pearson, Canada’s busiest airport. All five runways were temporarily closed, leading to numerous flight cancellations and diversions. Passengers at the airport described the scene as chaotic, with luggage piling up in terminals. Over 200 flights were canceled, and nearby airports prepared to receive diverted aircraft. By late afternoon, three runways had reopened, but the two where the crash occurred remained closed for investigation.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, along with American investigators, will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The incident is the fourth major aviation accident in North America in recent weeks, raising concerns about flight safety. The last major accident at Toronto Pearson occurred in 2005 when an Air France flight slid off the runway and caught fire, though all passengers survived. This latest crash, while dramatic, resulted in a miraculous escape for everyone on board.
