Passenger Captures Dramatic Rescue After Delta Plane Crash-Lands in Canada

Photo : Screenshot / Instagram / @eggxit

A Delta Air Lines regional jet crash-landed at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, flipping upside down after landing in windy conditions following a snowstorm. The flight, which started from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, was carrying 80 people. At least 18 passengers were injured, with three, including a child, suffering critical injuries. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any deaths.

Canadian authorities have started investigating the cause of the crash, though it is not yet known.

Caught on Camera

A passenger, Pete Koukov, shared a video on Instagram showing his rescue by authorities from inside the plane. In the video, passengers are seen being evacuated from the upside-down plane as fire engines spray water on it from outside.

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Another passenger shared a video on social media showing a female passenger hanging upside down in her seat after the plane had flipped. “My plane crashed, I’m upside down,” she wrote alongside the video. The video also showed scared passengers trying to exit the plane and make their way to safety. “I was just in a plane crash, oh my god,” the passenger said.

Passenger John Nelson also posted a video on Facebook, showing a fire truck spraying water on the plane as it lay upside down on the snowy ground. "We hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down," Nelson explained. "I just unbuckled and fell to the ground, and some people needed help getting down, while others could do it on their own."

Details of the Crash

Toronto Pearson Airport had been dealing with high winds and cold temperatures after a snowstorm that dumped over 22 cm (8.6 inches) of snow. The Delta flight touched down at 2:13 p.m. local time, and the plane came to rest at the intersection of two runways.

An emergency worker reported that the plane was upside down and on fire. Despite the chaos, some passengers were seen walking near the plane after the crash.

Deborah Flint, president of the Toronto airport, thanked first responders for their quick action, which helped prevent any fatalities. "We are very grateful that there is no loss of life and that injuries are relatively minor," she said.

Michael J. McCormick, a professor of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, commented that the upside-down position of the plane made the crash unusual. However, he pointed out that the fact that 80 people survived this kind of event shows the effectiveness of the engineering and safety systems that are in place today.

Aftermath and Investigation

Delta Airlines confirmed that a CRJ900 aircraft, operated by its Endeavor Air subsidiary, was involved in the crash. There were 76 passengers and 4 crew members on board. The CRJ900 is a 16-year-old aircraft made by Bombardier, a Canadian company, and can seat up to 90 people.

All 18 injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals, with two being airlifted to trauma centers. A child was sent to a children’s hospital. The airport was shut down for more than two hours while authorities dealt with the situation, causing delays and diversions to other airports, including Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, which was preparing to receive some of the diverted flights.

Toronto airport will continue to experience delays as two of its runways remain closed for investigation. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is investigating the cause of the crash, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which bought Bombardier's CRJ aircraft program in 2020, also said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.

This crash in Canada comes after other recent accidents in North America, including an Army helicopter collision with a CRJ-700 passenger jet in Washington, which killed 67 people. Other recent crashes include a medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia that killed seven people and a passenger plane crash in Alaska that killed 10 people.