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A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, but all 80 passengers and crew were successfully evacuated after the aircraft flipped over in snowy conditions.
According to an initial statement from Delta, there were no fatalities, though 18 passengers were transported to area hospitals with injuries. The airline referred to the incident as a “single-aircraft accident”.
The flight, Delta Connection 4819, was operated by regional subsidiary Endeavor Air. Officials have yet to determine the cause of the crash, but it occurred around 2:15 p.m. ET during a period of blowing snow and strong wind gusts. Photos and video footage from the scene showed the aircraft upside down on the snow-covered ground.
At a press briefing later that evening, Toronto Pearson CEO Deborah Flint confirmed that 22 of the 76 passengers and all four crew members were Canadian. The remaining individuals on board were described as “multinationals”, but no further details were provided. Flint praised the emergency response, calling it “textbook”, and emphasized that the primary concern was ensuring the well-being of passengers and crew, many of whom had already reunited with loved ones.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were en route to Toronto, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will lead the official investigation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on social media that he had been in contact with his Canadian counterpart to offer assistance.
Toronto Pearson temporarily suspended all departures and arrivals following the crash but resumed normal operations around 5 p.m. ET.
Medical transport provider Ornge reported that three people suffered critical injuries, including one child. However, at the press briefing, Flint contradicted this, stating that officials had no confirmation of any critical injuries.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz commented on the crash, stating he was “in touch with Delta” and expressing gratitude for the first responders and medical teams on the scene.
The crash comes just weeks after a midair collision between a commercial airliner and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
While aviation experts maintain that flying remains the safest form of transportation, some media outlets and critics have pointed to Trump-era budget cuts to the FAA, suggesting that reductions in safety oversight and staffing shortages may have contributed to recent aviation incidents. Critics argue that gutting key regulatory agencies in an effort to streamline government may now be leading to unintended safety risks in air travel.