The airport confirmed that an “incident” occurred with the Delta flight from Minneapolis and that 76 passengers and four crew are accounted for
Toronto: A Delta Airlines plane flipped upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and ended up on its roof on Monday, injuring 17 people. The airport confirmed on X that an “incident” occurred with the Delta flight from Minneapolis and that 76 passengers and four crew are accounted for.
The accident happened at about 2:15 pm and flights at the airport, which handles more passengers than any other Canadian airport, were grounded for around two and half hours. Two runways will remain closed during the investigation. “We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries,” Deborah Flint, CEO of Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said.
The number of people injured was down from early reports from paramedics that 19 were hurt. Video from the scene shows the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR upside down on the snowy tarmac as emergency workers hose it down. The plane was somewhat obscured by snow from a winter storm that hit Toronto over the weekend.
Ornge air ambulance said it was transporting one pediatric patient to Toronto’s SickKids hospital and two injured adults to other hospitals in the city. “Emergency teams are responding,” the airport said in a post on the social platform X.
“All passengers and crew are accounted for.” Tower controllers were heard speaking with the crew of a medical helicopter that had just left Pearson and was returning to help with the crash.
The controller said that the plane had come to rest at the intersection of Runways 23 and 15L. That’s not far from the start of the runway. “Just so you’re aware, there are people outside walking around the aircraft there,” a tower controller said.
“Yeah, we’ve got it. The aircraft is upside down and burning,” the medical helicopter pilot responded. It is too early to say what caused the plane to flip but weather may have played a factor. According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, the airport was experiencing blowing snow and winds of 51 kilometres per hour gusting to 65 kilometres per hour. The temperature was about minus 8.6 degrees Celsius.
