Delta Airlines plane flips on landing in Toronto: 19 injured, 1 child critical

Toronto, Canada: A Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Toronto has flipped over on landing, leaving 19 people injured, including a child in critical condition. The incident occurred at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon.

The Delta flight, which had 76 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport at around 3:30 PM. The plane, a Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR, overturned on the snowy tarmac, landing on its roof. Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene, with footage showing the aircraft upside down amidst a heavy snowstorm.

The airport confirmed that all passengers and crew members have been accounted for. In a statement, Delta Airlines noted that they were focusing on supporting those affected by the incident.

According to Ornge air ambulance, one child with critical injuries was taken to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, while two adults with serious injuries were transported to other hospitals in the area. The situation remains ongoing, with emergency teams actively responding.

Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford expressed relief that there were no fatalities, writing on X (formerly Twitter), "I am relieved there are no casualties after the incident at Toronto Pearson."

Weather conditions may have played a role

The cause of the plane’s flip remains under investigation, though weather conditions may have contributed. The Meteorological Service of Canada reported blowing snow, with winds of 51 km/h gusting to 65 km/h. The temperature at the time was approximately -8.6°C.

John Cox, CEO of aviation safety consultancy Safety Operating Systems, commented on the rarity of such incidents: “It's very rare to see something like this... We've seen a couple of cases of takeoffs where airplanes have ended up inverted, but it's pretty rare."

Cox added that the CRJ-900 is a reliable aircraft, noting, "The CRJ-900 aircraft is a proven aircraft that's been in service for decades and does a good job of handling inclement weather." He also highlighted that pilots are trained to manage such conditions, saying, “The pilots are trained and experienced to handle that.”

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is leading the investigation into the incident, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued a statement, offering support to Canadian investigators.

This incident marks at least the fourth significant aviation event in North America this past month. Notably, a collision between a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter near Washington D.C. on January 29 killed 67 people. Other crashes included a medical plane in Philadelphia and a deadly crash in Alaska.

Delta Airlines’ response

Delta Airlines confirmed in a statement that no fatalities have been reported. “Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted,” the airline said.

Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta, operates the CRJ-900 and is the world's largest operator of this type of aircraft. The company runs 700 daily flights to over 126 cities across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.

This incident adds to a growing list of aviation safety concerns in recent weeks, though officials are hopeful for a full recovery for the injured passengers.

Agency