A Delta airplane carrying 80 passengers crashed, flipped on its back and made a dramatic landing at the snowy runway of the Toronto’s Pearson airport Monday afternoon.
The aircraft accident resulted in fifteen people sustaining injuries, with three individuals – including one child – being severely wounded. Miraculously all the passengers and crew members survived the incident, according to reports.
According to Ornge Air Ambulance, Ontario’s air ambulance provider, three patients were transported to Toronto hospitals in critical condition: a child was taken to the Hospital for Sick Children, whilst a man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s were moved to other medical facilities in the city.
A footage captured by a survivor of the accident revealed a female passenger suspended upside down in her seat after the plane had overturned.
“My plane crashed I’m upside down,” she wrote alongside the recording.
The video then showed frightened travellers scrambling to exit the aircraft while making their way to safety. “I was just in a plane crash, oh my god,” the distressed passenger remarked.
Runways at Pearson airport resumed after being closed for a brief period of time, as per a notice issued to aviation officials.
The airport confirmed via X at approximately 3 pm (local time) that all passengers and crew have been located.
The incident involved a Minneapolis-originating flight arriving Monday afternoon. Of the approximately 80 passengers and crew, most remained uninjured, as confirmed by a Peel Region paramedic superintendent.
Earlier Monday, the airport had anticipated high traffic volumes, with expectations of 130,000 travellers on roughly 1,000 flights, following weekend disruptions caused by 22 centimetres of snowfall.
Emergency vehicles surround the overturned aircraft on the snowy runway, with an Air Canada hangar visible against the blue sky.
Delta Air Lines confirmed the incident involving flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, in a Monday afternoon update, emphasising their focus on passenger care.
Transport minister Anita Anand acknowledged the “serious incident” on X, while the Transportation Board of Canada dispatched investigators.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow expressed relief about the passenger and crew accountability on X, commending first responders and airport personnel for their swift response.
