'Most passengers self-evacuated': Investigation into why Delta plane flipped is ongoing
- Ani
- Feb 18
- 3 min read
Investigators have begun working to identify what caused a Delta Air Lines regional jet to flip on its roof while landing at Canada's Toronto Pearson Airport, injuring 21 of the 80 people on the flight from Minnesota.
The passenger jet was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members and crashed as it was attempting to land around 2:15 p.m. local time, Delta said in a statement. The CRJ-900 regional jet had departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Twenty-one passengers were transported to area hospitals on Monday, according to Delta, and 19 had been released by Tuesday morning. Of those injured, two adults were taken to two different trauma centers by air ambulance and one child was transported to a children’s hospital, according to local officials.
Immediately after the crash, Canada's busiest airport shut down all of its runways. The airport resumed departures and arrivals by 5 p.m. but cancellations and delays have since piled up. The airport's President and CEO, Deborah Flint, said during a Tuesday press briefing that the longest east-west and north-south runways on the field are expected to remain closed for about 48 hours to accommodate the early stages of the investigation.
“We have taken great time and care to extend care to each of the passengers that were here after the accident. That includes comfort as well as support in their emotional well-being in the hours since the crash," Flint said. "We have completed the reunification process for all of the remaining passengers, and we’ll continue to care for them during this extended time.”
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Passengers self-evacuated
According to Toronto Airport Fire Chief Todd Aitken, most passengers self-evacuated from the overturned jet before first responders reached the scene.
"I believe that most of the passengers self-evacuated at that time and, upon arrival, they were being escorted to a second location," he said during a media briefing Tuesday.
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Cory Tkatch, a commander of operations for Peel Regional Paramedic Services, said during a media briefing on Tuesday most of the injuries were common issues like back pain, head injuries and headaches, anxiety, vomiting, and nausea due to fuel exposure. According to the airport's president, none of the injuries, including those of the two people who remain hospitalized, is life-threatening.
Cancellations, delays pile up at Canada's busiest airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport said on Tuesday that it remains open with flights arriving and departing, but advised passengers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.
About 145 flights in and out of the airport were canceled by 8 a.m. Tuesday; 72 were delayed, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website. On Monday, the airport saw nearly 400 cancellations and 362 delays.
Toronto Pearson International Airport is the nation's most traveled airport. The facility saw more than 44.8 million passengers in 2023, said the international industry organization Airports Council International. Pearson has five main runways and 30 taxiways, according to the airport's website.
Crash was the latest major aviation accident in North America
Monday's crash comes amid heightened scrutiny of air travel following a series of deadly incidents in the U.S. this year.
On Jan. 29, an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter collided near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people aboard both aircraft. Days later, a Medivac plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing seven people and injuring over 20 others. On Feb. 6, a plane crashed in Alaska as it flew on the state's western coast, leaving all 10 passengers dead.
Canadian authorities lead investigation into the crash
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, an agency of the Canadian government, will be in charge of leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, according to the FAA.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will be involved in the probe, with a team of U.S. investigators assisting Canadian investigators. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement Monday on X that FAA investigators were on their way to Toronto. He added that he has been in touch with his Canadian counterpart to offer assistance with the investigation.
Delta’s incident response team deployed to Toronto Pearson International Airport Monday evening, the airline said in a statement.
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