A Delta Airlines aircraft overturned upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, coming to rest on its roof and injuring 19 people, including three who are in critical condition. The airport confirmed the incident in a post on X, stating that the Delta flight had arrived from Minneapolis with all 76 passengers and four crew members accounted for. Delta Airlines issued a statement saying the accident occurred at 3:30 pm. Footage from the scene shows the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR lying upside down on the snow-covered tarmac as emergency responders work to douse it with water. The aircraft was partially obscured by snow, following a winter storm that had swept through Toronto over the weekend. Ontario’s air ambulance service, Ornge, reported that one child was being transported to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, while two critically injured adults were being taken to other hospitals in the city.
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“Emergency teams are responding,” the airport posted on X. “All passengers and crew are accounted for.” While the exact cause of the incident remains unclear, weather conditions may have been a contributing factor. According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, the airport was experiencing blowing snow, with winds reaching 51 km/h and gusting up to 65 km/h. The temperature at the time was approximately -8.6°C. Aviation safety expert John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, described the incident as highly unusual. “It’s very rare to see something like this,” he said. “We’ve seen a few cases of aircraft overturning on takeoff, but it’s extremely uncommon.”
Cox, a former US Air pilot with 25 years of experience and involvement in National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations, noted that the CRJ-900 is a well-established aircraft designed to handle challenging weather conditions. “The wind speed was around 27 to 35 knots (approximately 38 mph), which is significant but well within what these aircraft are built to handle. The pilots are trained for such conditions.” The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that Canada’s Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation, with US officials assisting as needed. This marks at least the fourth major aviation incident in North America in the past month. On 29th January, a commercial jetliner and a military helicopter collided near Washington, D.C., claiming 67 lives. Two days later, a medical transport aircraft crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six on board and one person on the ground. Meanwhile, ten people lost their lives in a separate plane crash in Alaska. Delta Airlines confirmed that, based on initial reports, there were no fatalities. “Several passengers with injuries have been taken to hospital. Our main priority is supporting those affected,” the airline stated.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed relief that there were no casualties. “Provincial officials are in contact with the airport and local authorities and will provide any necessary assistance,” he posted on X. The aircraft involved belonged to Endeavor Air, a Minneapolis-based subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. As the world’s largest operator of CRJ-900 aircraft, Endeavor Air manages a fleet of 130 regional jets, operating 700 daily flights to 126 destinations across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. The CRJ-900, a widely used regional jet, was originally developed by Canadian aerospace manufacturer Bombardier. It belongs to the same aircraft family as the CRJ-700, which was involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport on 29th January.
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