Delta Flight 4819 Crash-Lands in Toronto Amid Snowstorm and Strong Winds, All 80 Onboard Survive
A Delta Airlines flight has crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada, but fortunately, all 80 people on board survived. The flight, Delta 4819, which originated from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota, landed around 3:30 pm (20:30 GMT) on Monday. The aircraft, a CRJ900 made by Canadian company Bombardier, flipped upside down due to strong winds and snowstorm conditions in Toronto. Though the plane caught fire, the fuselage remained mostly intact, and fire crews quickly put out the flames.
Social media footage showed passengers walking across the tarmac, shielding themselves from snow and strong winds. There were at least 18 reported injuries, and some passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment. The crash adds to the list of recent aviation incidents.
What Happened and When?
Delta Flight 4819, originating from Minneapolis, crash-landed on the runway around 3:30 pm local time on Monday. The plane was a CRJ900 model. Although the plane caught fire, the fire crews were able to extinguish it, and the fuselage was mostly unharmed. Passengers were seen exiting the plane and walking away from it in the snowstorm.
What Caused the Aircraft to Flip Upon Landing?
Experts believe that the combination of strong winds and snow contributed to the plane flipping over. Aviation expert Scott Hamilton stated that severe weather conditions, along with factors such as speed and braking anomalies, might have played a role. John Cox, a former pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems, also suggested that the plane’s design was suitable for such weather, but the cause of the flipped plane, particularly the missing right wing, still needs to be investigated. More news: Elon Musk introduces the Grok 3 AI model, demonstrating its superior performance in coding and mathematics compared to both DeepSeek and ChatGPT.
At the time of landing, Toronto experienced gusts of up to 65 km/h (40 mph), with 22 cm (8.7 inches) of snow covering the airport. Additionally, snow had fallen in the previous week, adding to the challenging conditions. Audio recordings revealed that the control tower warned the pilots of a possible “bump” in the airflow during landing.
Details About the Passengers
There were 76 passengers and 4 crew members on Delta. 18 passengers were injured and taken to the hospital. According to Ontario-based air ambulance service Ornge, a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s were critically injured. The child was sent to SickKids hospital, while the adults were taken to other hospitals in Toronto.
Investigation Status
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has launched an investigation into the Delta plane crash. While flights have resumed at the airport, there may be delays since two runways have been closed for the investigation. In a press conference, Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken confirmed that the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Authorities’ Statements
Canadian authorities have held two news conferences but have not yet released any specific details on the crash. Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said that the injuries were mostly minor. She confirmed that 17 injured passengers were taken to local hospitals, but none were reported to have critical injuries at that time. However, Ontario’s air ambulance service mentioned that three passengers were critically injured, which differs from the airport’s report. The exact condition of the injured passengers is still unclear. Flint thanked emergency responders for their quick and heroic actions during the incident.
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