Delta flight crashed and overturned in Toronto – news here

Delta flight crashed and overturned in Toronto – news here

A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, overturned and caught fire on the runway while attempting to land. This is the latest incident in a series of passenger plane crashes since December. All 80 people aboard the CRJ900 twin-engine aircraft survived, but 21 people were hospitalized with injuries. According to Delta, only one person remained in the hospital as of Wednesday morning.

Crash details

Videos obtained by CNN show the jet's rear landing gear giving way after the hard impact on the runway and the right wing tearing off in a ball of fire. The plane briefly slides on its belly before turning around and sending smoke and powdery snow into the air. “Oh, no, no, no, no, no!” shouts a person recording the video from another plane.

Witness statements and injuries

"When we hit it was just incredibly hard. It hit the ground and the plane went sideways," passenger John Nelson said, adding, "It's amazing we're still here." Nelson reported that he still smelled of kerosene on Monday evening after the incident.

By Tuesday afternoon, the wreckage of the plane was barely visible as it was camouflaged by the snow lying on the frozen fuselage. Video footage from Wednesday shows crews beginning to remove the crashed plane at Toronto Airport.

A series of aviation accidents

Monday's crash is the latest incident in a deadly year for aviation in North America. Earlier this month, 10 people were killed when a regional airliner crashed in Alaska. Less than three weeks earlier, 67 people died when an American Airlines plane crashed into a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. collided. Two days later, an air rescue plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground.

Survivors and their experiences

Delta Flight 4819, operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, departed from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and crashed around 2:15 p.m. local time. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said: “The hearts of the entire global Delta family go out to those affected by the incident at Toronto Pearson International Airport.” Delta has announced it will offer $30,000 to each passenger involved in the flight. A spokesman for the airline said this offer had no conditions and would not affect any rights.

Causes of the crash

As for the causes of the crash, Ken Webster, an investigator with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said it was far too early to say. The crash occurred on a windy day following heavy snowfall. “We received more than 20 inches of snow on Thursday and Sunday,” said Deborah Flint, airport president and CEO. Despite the strong winds of up to 38 mph, the runway was dry and there were no crosswinds.

The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered and sent to a laboratory for further analysis. Videos of the crash could shed light on why the plane went over after landing, said Steven Wallace, former director of the FAA's Office of Aviation Accidents.

Investigations and further information

The airport where the plane crashed is expected to remain closed until at least Thursday evening. More than 20 investigators are on scene investigating the incident. The last major aviation accident at Toronto Airport was almost two decades ago. The US National Transportation Safety Board is assisting Canadians in the investigation.