A Delta regional jet arriving from Minneapolis overturned at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon, leaving eighteen people injured, including a child and two adults in critical condition.
Photos from the scene captured the moment passengers were evacuating and running from the wreckage, which was previously the Bombardier CR900 plane, operated by Endeavor Air subsidiary.
According to the US carrier Delta, the 16-year-old CRJ900 aircraft was involved in an accident with 76 passengers and four crew members.
“Initial reports indicate there are no fatalities and 18 customers with injuries have been transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted,” Delta said in a statement.
“I’m relieved to learn that all passengers and crew are accounted for after today’s plane crash at Toronto Pearson,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said on X. “Thank you to the first responders, crew and airport staff for their quick actions and commitment to keeping everyone safe.”
In a post on the social media platform X, the airport also noted that all those on board had been accounted for.
Suspension of Airport Operations
Following the incident, all arrivals and departures were suspended. Pearson’s website reflected multiple delays, with passengers left stranded and uncertain.
“There’s still a lot of uncertainty… no arrivals or departures coming or going,” CTV News reporter Kamil Karamali noted.
He added that strong winds in Toronto, speculated by aviation enthusiasts as a possible cause, led to dangerous crosswinds.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) stated that it was sending a team of investigators, with the US National Transportation Safety Board promising to assist the Canadian TSB.
The Toronto airport was closed for more than two hours before departures and arrivals resumed.