At least 18 injured after Delta plane from Minneapolis crashes in Toronto, airline says
A Delta Air Lines flight that left from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport crashed and flipped over while landing in Toronto on Monday, leaving at least 18 injured, the air carrier said. No one died.
According to Delta, the CRJ-900 plane departed from MSP around 11:30 a.m. and crashed upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport around 2:15 p.m. local time. All 80 people aboard the plane — 76 passengers and four crew members — were evacuated.
The flight, DL4819, was operated through Endeavor Air, a regional Delta subsidiary headquartered at MSP.
Delta says 18 people aboard the flight were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Peel Regional Paramedic Services, whose jurisdiction includes Pearson Airport, reported two adults and one child with critical injuries.
In an update on Monday just before 10 p.m., a spokesperson for Delta said some of the people who were initially brought to the hospital have been released.
Footage of the crash scene obtained by ABC News shows the plane overturned on the tarmac with its wings severed as fire crews doused the fuselage with water.
During a news briefing Monday night, Pearson Airport CEO Deborah Flint said 22 of the passengers were Canadian and the rest were “multinational.” She praised the swift response by emergency crews, who got to the crash site “within minutes.”
“Again, we are very grateful that there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries,” Flint said. “We are very focused on the care and the concern of the passengers and the crew, some of whom have already been reunified with their friends and their families.”
It’s unclear exactly how the aircraft overturned, but gusty weather may have played a role. The Meteorological Service of Canada recorded winds of 32 mph and gusts reaching 40 mph at the airport around the time of the crash as the remnants of a winter storm passed through Toronto.
“Any time there’s a mishap, there’s never one single reason for a mishap, but certainly one of the prime mishaps here would be the weather,” ABC News aviation contributor Steve Ganyard said.
As crews worked to clear away the wreckage, all flights were temporarily suspended Monday afternoon at Pearson Airport; departures and arrivals resumed by early evening.
Delta said it was “working to connect with customers” who have flights departing, arriving or connecting through the airport, adding that those affected should monitor their flight status online.
“The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. “I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is assisting the Transportation Safety Board of Canada in the investigation. Any further updates will come through the TSB.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a union representing flight attendants across 20 airlines, said its members were part of Endeavor Flight 4819.
“Please do not speculate on this incident as everyone works to gather information and support those involved,” the AFA said in a statement.
In a statement posted to social media, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he was “in touch” with Delta.
“Grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene,” Walz wrote.