A Delta Air Lines flight carrying 80 passengers and crew members crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport, flipping upside down upon arrival. Remarkably, all individuals on board survived the frightening ordeal, though several sustained injuries. The accident unfolded on February 17, 2025, amid challenging weather conditions.
Delta flight 4819, originating from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, was approaching Toronto Pearson International Airport shortly after 2:00 PM local time when disaster struck. As the Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft touched down on the runway, it suddenly flipped over, coming to rest on its roof in a scene that witnesses described as surreal and terrifying.
In a cellphone video, passenger John Nelson captured the immediate aftermath, stating, “We just landed. Our plane crashed. It’s upside down.” His calm demeanor belied the gravity of the situation as he added, “Most people appear to be OK.”
Heroic Rescue Efforts After The Delta Plane Crash In Toronto
First responders swiftly arrived at the scene, initiating a well-coordinated rescue operation. The fuselage remained largely intact, allowing for a successful evacuation. Social media footage showed passengers exiting the overturned plane and walking across the snow-covered tarmac, shielding themselves from the harsh weather conditions.
Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, praised the efforts of emergency personnel and airport staff at a news conference. “No airport CEO wants to have these types of press conferences, but this is exactly what our emergency, our operations, and our first responders are all practiced and trained for,” she remarked, attributing the positive outcome to their “heroic work.”
While the survival of all 80 individuals on board is nothing short of miraculous, the incident did result in injuries. Initially, reports suggested that at least eight people were hurt, but this number was later revised to 18.
According to Aljazeera, Ornge, an air ambulance service in Ontario, reported transporting a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s to hospitals with critical injuries. However, Flint later stated that the injuries were “relatively minor,” with no passengers suffering critical injuries. This incident adds to a series of recent aviation accidents in North America, including a midair collision near Washington, DC, that resulted in 67 fatalities.
