Toronto Airport: Delta Plane Flips on Landing, 18 Injured

A Delta Air Lines regional jet experienced a landing incident at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, resulting in the aircraft overturning. Eighteen of the 80 passengers were injured, with three in critical condition.

Adverse weather conditions, including high winds following a snowstorm, are believed to be a contributing factor. The flight originated from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Delta Air Lines has confirmed that a CRJ900 aircraft operated by its regional partner, Endeavor Air, was involved in an incident at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.

The aircraft, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, sustained significant damage. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Everything seemed normal until the moment of impact, according to passenger, John Nelson. He told CNN that the landing started like any other, but then the plane was suddenly sideways and upside down. His Facebook video showed the aftermath: the plane, flipped over on the snow-covered tarmac, being sprayed with water. Nelson described his own escape and how other passengers were helped from the wreckage.

Toronto Pearson Airport faced challenging conditions on Monday, with high winds and freezing temperatures following a weekend snowstorm that dumped over 8 inches of snow. While the airport initially reported a dry runway and no crosswinds at the time of the incident, some pilots contradicted this, citing average crosswinds of 22 mph with gusts. Aviation expert John Cox explained that pilots constantly adjust for such conditions. Airport President Deborah Flint warned of operational impacts and delays in the coming days due to two runway closures.

Experts are investigating why the plane’s wing separated. While such landings are rare, safety advancements ensured all 80 passengers survived. Previous similar incidents, including one fatal, involved MD-11 aircraft. The airport praised the lack of fatalities and the work of first responders.

The Toronto incident follows several other recent North American aviation accidents, including a fatal helicopter-CRJ-700 collision in Washington, a medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia, and a passenger plane crash in Alaska.