Bombardier CRJ-900 DELTA flight 4819 from Minneapolis lays upside down on the runway covered in foam.Photo:Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty
Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty
The known details of theDelta plane crashthat left an aircraft upside down at Pearson International Airport in Toronto are miraculous. But big questions remain about the terrifying accident.
At around 2:45 p.m. local time on Feb. 17, the flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport en route to Canada crash-landed and flipped upside down on the runway. Though the aircraft caught fire, all 80 passengers who were aboard the flight were able to evacuate safely with minimal injuries.
Currently, there are still many facts to uncover regarding the circumstances that led to such a harrowing incident. As Canadian and American authorities continue their on-site investigations, here is what we know about the crash right now.
What Happened to Delta 4819?
On Monday, Feb. 17, a Delta Air Lines Bombardier CRJ900 flying from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport crashed upon landing at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada. Footage and photos of the crash show the jet catching on fire as it hit the runway hard, seemingly skidded out and rolled over, coming to rest upside down.
“We immediately halted further arrivals and departures on our remaining three runways,” Deborah Flint, CEO of the Toronto Pearson International Airport, said in apress conferenceon Tuesday. “Those runways were reopened at approximately 5 p.m."
Are There Survivors?
Of the 76 passengers and 4 crew members on Flight 4819, all were safely evacuated. During Tuesday’s press conference, Flint shared that 21 passengers suffered injuries ranging from minor to critical, but none were life-threatening.
A first responder addressing the press said the most common injuries included back sprains and head injuries, as well as symptoms like headaches, nausea, and vomiting due to exposure to fumes.
Two passengers were kept at the hospital for about two days, but all had been released as of Thursday morning, Delta confirmed.
Sara Nelson, president of theAssociation of Flight Attendants-CWAand a flight attendant of nearly 29 years, credited the lack of fatalities to thepassengers wearing their seatbelts. “The seatbelts were key to everyone’s safe evacuation on the flight and no fatalities,” said Nelson. “If someone had not been wearing their seatbelt in this crash, the likelihood of a death would become very high.”
Investigators examine the wreckage of a Delta Air Lines plane a day after it crashed on landing.GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty
GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty
What Do We Know About The Victims?
Several passengers have spoken out about their experience in the days following the crash.
One passenger, John Nelson, spoke to CNN about the “super gusty” winds before and during the flight. “The snow had kinda blown over the runways. So coming in was routine, but it was noticeable that the runways were in kind of a weird condition,” he said. “And when we hit, it was super hard…we hit the ground and the plane went sideways and I believe we skidded on our side and flipped over on our back. Where we ended up there was a big fireball on the left side of the plane.”
One passenger, Peter Koukov, said he “didn’t know anything was the matter” until everyone was hanging “upside down like bats.” In anInstagrampost that has garnered nearly 8 million likes, Koukov wrote, “Being alive feels pretty cool today.”
What Went Wrong?
Officials are still investigating whether there were human errors that led to the crash or if the the extreme weather conditions may have been a factor.
As Flint noted during the press conference, two separate snow storms hit Toronto in the days leading up to the crash, dropping 20 inches of snow. This resulted in hundreds of flights being canceled between Thursday and Sunday, however, Monday was a clear day for flights and was considered an “operational recovery day” for the airport, she said.
What Do We Know About The Ongoing Investigation?
As of Thursday morning, there are no confirmed details on the cause of the incident which is currently under investigation. Both the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) deployed teams of investigators to gather information and assess the situation. The FAA confirmed in a statement that “the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.”
Flint noted that Delta Air Lines and Mitsubishi, the makers of the aircraft, have sent representatives to the crash site as well. “We do expect that the investigators on site will be reviewing the aircraft on its current configuration on the runway for the next 48 hours,” Flint said on Tuesday, adding that the crash has left the airport without the use of its east, west, north, and south runways and will undoubtedly slow operations for the foreseeable future.
On Thursday morning, the wreckage was removed from the runway as planned, marking the conclusion of the first portion of the investigation, yet no knew insights have been revealed as of midday.
source: people.com
