A winter afternoon flight from Minneapolis turned catastrophic at Canada's busiest airport.
According to Fox News, a Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 jet flipped upside down during landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon, resulting in injuries to 18 passengers and crew members.
The incident involved Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, which was carrying 80 people including four crew members. Three passengers sustained critical but non-life-threatening injuries, while others suffered minor cuts and scrapes. Emergency crews responded swiftly to the scene, where the aircraft lay mangled on a snow-covered runway.
Strong wind conditions contribute to dangerous landing scenario
Air traffic control recordings revealed challenging weather conditions at the time of the incident, with winds reaching 20-30 mph and gusts approaching 40 mph. A helicopter pilot who witnessed the event reported seeing the aircraft "upside down and burning." The crash occurred around 2:15 p.m. local time, prompting an immediate emergency response.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the accident took place during the landing procedure. All passengers were successfully evacuated from the aircraft, though the scene remained chaotic as first responders worked to assist the injured. Toronto Pearson Airport temporarily suspended operations but resumed departures and arrivals by approximately 5 p.m.
Peel Regional Paramedic Services Superintendent Lawrence Saindon stated:
Those three were critical, non-life-threatening injuries. The remaining ones are all walking wounded, with cuts and scrapes, nothing serious at all.
Medical response teams transport critical patients to specialized facilities
Two critically injured patients were airlifted to separate trauma centers - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. A four-year-old child was transported to The Hospital for Sick Children, highlighting the range of medical facilities mobilized for the emergency response.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has acknowledged the incident and announced that FAA investigators are en route to Toronto. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will lead the investigation, with American authorities offering assistance in determining the cause of the crash.
The incident occurs amid growing concerns about aviation safety following several recent accidents worldwide. Recent months have seen fatal crashes involving various aircraft, including a military Black Hawk helicopter collision near Washington, D.C., a Jeju Air disaster in South Korea, and an Azerbaijan Airlines accident in Kazakhstan.
Current state of aviation safety raises international concern
The Toronto incident adds to a series of aviation accidents that have occurred in recent months. A late January crash near Washington, D.C. resulted in 67 fatalities when a military Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines-affiliated commercial flight.
International aviation has also experienced significant incidents, with 179 lives lost in a South Korea crash involving Jeju Air and 38 fatalities in a Kazakhstan accident involving Azerbaijan Airlines.
Toronto Pearson Airport officials have maintained transparent communication throughout the event, confirming that all passengers and crew members were accounted for. The airport's swift return to normal operations demonstrates effective emergency protocols, though investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
Aftermath of a dramatic landing gone wrong
The Delta Connection flight 4819 incident at Toronto Pearson Airport resulted in 18 injuries, including three critical cases requiring specialized trauma care. The CRJ-900 aircraft, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members from Minneapolis, crashed during landing amid challenging wind conditions on Monday afternoon. While the Transportation Safety Board of Canada leads the investigation, both Canadian and U.S. authorities are working together to determine the exact cause of the accident and prevent similar incidents in the future.
