Nineteen people were hurt, including three critically injured, when a Delta Airlines aircraft flipped on arrival at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and wound up on its roof on Monday.
When the Delta Airlines plane lands at the Toronto airport, it rolls over.
The airport verified on X that 76 passengers and four staff members are safe after an incident involving the Delta flight from Minneapolis. According to a statement from Delta, the accident occurred at 3:30 p.m.
Tarmac video
As emergency personnel spray it down, footage at the scene reveals the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR upside down on the snowy pavement. Snow from a winter storm that struck Toronto over the weekend partially covered the plane.
On Monday, February 17, 2025, firefighters at Pearson International Airport in Toronto tend to an upside-down Delta Air Lines aircraft that crashed on the runway when it was traveling from Minneapolis to Toronto. (The Canadian Press/Teresa Barbieri via AP)Through AP, Teresa Barbieri
Ornge Air Ambulance reported that it was taking two critically injured individuals to other hospitals in the city and one child to SickKids Hospital in Toronto.
In a post on the social media site X, the airport stated that emergency personnel were responding. Every crew member and passenger is present.
According to a statement from Delta, there were no fatalities at first.
Numerous patrons who suffered injuries were sent to nearby hospitals. “Taking care of those affected is our top priority,” the airline continued.
Premier Doug Ford of Ontario expressed his relief on X that no one was hurt in the incident at Toronto Pearson. Ontario’s capital is Toronto.
According to Ford, provincial representatives are in communication with the airport and local authorities and will offer assistance if required.
The largest CRJ-900 aircraft operator in the world, Endeavor Air is headquartered in Minneapolis and is a division of Delta Air Lines. According to the airline’s website, it flies 700 times a day to more than 126 destinations in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean with 130 regional planes.
Bombardier, a Canadian aerospace manufacturer, built the well-known regional aircraft known as the CRJ900. It belongs to the same aircraft family as the CRJ700, which was the model of aircraft involved in the January 29 midair collision close to Reagan National Airport.
Although it is too soon to determine the cause of the plane’s flip, weather might have been a contributing role. The Canadian Meteorological Service reported that winds of 32 mph (51 kph) with gusts up to 40 mph (65 kph) were blowing snow at the airport. About 16.5 degrees Fahrenheit (-8.6 degrees Celsius) was the temperature.
According to John Cox, CEO of the St. Petersburg, Florida-based aviation safety consulting company Safety Operating Systems, such a situation is extremely uncommon. Although it’s not often, there have been a few instances of airplanes taking off upside down.
Cox, who has worked on NTSB investigations and flew for U.S. Air for 25 years, said the CRJ900 is a well-proven aircraft that has been in operation for decades and handles bad weather well.
The windy weather was the norm. At 27 to 35 knots, or roughly 38 miles per hour, the wind was blowing from the west. It was breezy, then. However, the aircraft are certified and built to withstand such. The pilots have the expertise and training to manage that.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will lead the investigation and offer any updates, according to a statement from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, it is in charge of a group of American investigators who will support the Canadian inquiry.
