Witnesses recount upside-down plane crash in Toronto Pearson Airport
CNN4 days
Delta Plane Flips at Toronto Airport, 18 Injured in Crash
story
Above: Emergency personnel work at the scene of a Delta Airlines plane crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Feb. 17, 2025. Image copyright: Katherine KY Cheng/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 from Minneapolis carrying 80 people crashed and flipped onto its roof while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday around 2:15 pm local time, resulting in 18 injuries, including three critical cases.
The Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR aircraft, operated by Delta's subsidiary Endeavor Air, had 76 passengers, including 22 Canadians and four crew members, aboard. All of them were successfully evacuated as the plane caught fire upon impact.
Emergency responders — including six fire engines from Mississauga Fire Services, two district chiefs, and 18 paramedic units from Peel Region — quickly arrived at the scene to assist in evacuation and fire suppression.
The Spin
Narrative A
The recent snowfall, gusty conditions, and high traffic volume could have created potentially hazardous landing conditions, making the plane go lateral rather than straight. However, it's vital not to speculate on the cause of the crash and to be grateful that there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries. The quick evacuation and immediate medical attention to injured passengers highlight the airport's preparedness for such emergencies.
Narrative B
It's difficult to blame weather conditions and operational pressures for the incident, as the runway was dry, and there were no crosswind conditions at the time of the crash. While the emergency response to the crash was exemplary, Canada's runways are generally safe, and it's extremely rare for a plane to flip during a landing, specific issues — including unstable approaches — must be addressed to avoid such accidents in the future.
