Transportation Safety Board looking into incident
A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon, flipping onto its roof and injuring 18 people.
The incident occurred after a weekend of heavy snowfall that caused widespread flight disruptions.
All 76 passengers and four crew members aboard Flight 4819 – operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air – were accounted for, Deborah Flint, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), noted, according to a CBC report. No crew members were injured in the incident.
Among those on board, 22 were Canadian passengers.
"We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries," Flint told reporters, according to CBC.
However, there were contrasting reports regarding the injured, according to CBC.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene quickly. The GTAA noted that 17 injured passengers were taken to hospital immediately, while one more was transported later. Reports on the number of injuries varied earlier in the day. Peel Regional Paramedic Services initially estimated that eight people were hurt, later revising the count to 15, before Delta confirmed 18 injuries.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s air ambulance service, Ornge, reported that a child was taken to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children with critical injuries, while a man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s were transported to hospital in critical condition. Flint, however, stated that the airport did not have confirmation on the severity of injuries, noted CBC.
But “no fatalities have been reported and some of the customers initially transported to area hospitals have been released,” said the airline via social media.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigating incident
Following the incident, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it is deploying a team of investigators to the Pearson International Airport.
“The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence,” the government agency said.
Delta Airlines has also deployed its incident response team to support efforts surrounding the Pearson airport crash.
“The team includes specially trained Delta Care Team representatives who will provide support for customers and their loved ones. Members of Endeavor Air’s leadership team, including CEO Jim Graham, are also en route to ensure full cooperation with investigators,” said the airline via X.
Meanwhile, Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand expressed gratitude to first responders who attended the scene.
“I want to thank all the first responders and Toronto Pearson staff following today’s incident at Pearson Airport,” she said via X. My thoughts are with those injured and their families. We are supporting the ongoing investigation in any way we can.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow thanked the first responders.
“I’m relieved to learn that all passengers and crew are accounted for after today’s plane crash at Toronto Pearson,” she said via X.
“Thank you to the first responders, crew and airport staff for their quick actions and commitment to keeping everyone safe.”
