At least 18 passengers aboard the Delta Air Lines flight sustained injuries, but all 80 individuals were safely evacuated.
A Delta Air Lines passenger has shared details of the terrifying moments following a crash in which the aircraft flipped upside down.
Yesterday (February 17) at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, Delta Airlines Flight 4819, which had departed from Minneapolis, Minnesota, crashed while attempting to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. The aircraft overturned during the incident.
There were 80 people on board, including 76 passengers and four crew members. Authorities confirmed that everyone was safely evacuated, though at least 18 individuals were transported to hospitals for treatment.
Pearson CEO Deborah Flint addressed the situation yesterday evening, stating: “We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries.”
According to medical transport company Ornge, three individuals sustained critical injuries, as reported by The Independent.
Delta News Hub later issued a statement on Twitter, saying: “Initial reports were that there are no fatalities. Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals.
“Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted.”
Following the crash, passengers took to social media to share their experiences. One passenger posted footage from inside the overturned aircraft, while another shared a video after evacuating.
Ashley Zook, a passenger on the flight, uploaded a Snapchat video of herself still strapped into her seat inside the flipped plane, with the caption: “My plane crashed. I’m upside down.”
In the video, she can be heard exclaiming: “What the f**k.”
Later, she shared another video from outside the aircraft, showing the plane resting upside down on the ground with other passengers nearby.
“I was just in a plane crash. Oh my God,” she says in footage shared by CBC.
Another passenger, John Nelson, also posted on social media, sharing a video on Facebook in which he explains that the plane “crashed” and is “upside down” while officials work at the scene.
“Most people are going to be OK, we’re all getting off, there’s some smoke going on,” he narrates.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has launched an investigation into the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement saying: “The NTSB is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist the Transportation Safety Board of Canada with their investigation of today’s accident of a Delta Air Lines Bombardier CRJ900 at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
“Per international protocols under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Annex 13, any information about the investigation will be released by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.”
