Delta Air Lines plane flips upside down on landing at Toronto airport, several injured
The flight from Minneapolis was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members. Amid cold and windy conditions, the aircraft turned turtle but a major tragedy was averted
Toronto: Fifteen persons were injured after a flight from the United States crashed on a runway at Toronto airport and then flipped over on the tarmac.
The incident occurred at approximately 2.15pm (local time) on Monday as Delta Air Lines flight 4819 from Minneapolis, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, came in for landing at the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Amid cold and windy conditions, the aircraft turned turtle but a major tragedy was averted as those in the plane were evacuated relatively safely.
Emergency vehicles including three air ambulances rushed to the runway, as three persons, a child, a person in their 40s and another in their 60s, were taken to hospital. There were no reports on fatalities in the mishap.
Canada’s Minister of Transport Anita Anand said she had spoken to her American counterpart, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was “sending investigators to support” the Transportation Safety Board’s probe into the cause of the crash.
She thanked first responders and airport staff for their efforts in dealing with the emergency situation.
On Monday evening, Deborah Flint, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said, “We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries.”
She added that two runways involved in the crash will remain close as the incident is being investigated.
The airport was closed to arrivals and departures for over two hours before resuming regular operations at 5pm. During that period, some flights were diverted to the airports in Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal.
Delta said the flight was operated by Endeavor Air using a CRJ-900 aircraft, which is built by the Canadian firm Bombardier and had departed from the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport in Minnesota.
Numerous videos of passengers within the plane showed the turmoil within the plane
Among them was John Nelson, who posted a video on Facebook, with the remark, “I landed and was stuck upside down. It exploded shortly after the video.”
